Gov. Brown, Oregon AG, to fight White House over legal weed, policy makers consider carbon emission bills and Zoom+ takes ’emergency’ battle to the legislature.
Gov. Brown says hands off legal marijuana
Brown says she wants the Trump Administration to leave Oregonians alone when it comes to the growing marijuana industry. The administration’s moves against legalized marijuana undermine Trump’s stated objectives to honor states’ rights, she says.
The marijuana industry created about 12,500 jobs in Oregon since voters approved its recreational use in 2014, OPB reports. Workers in the young industry earn a total of $315 million per year and their average hourly wage is about $12 per hour. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum says the state will go to court to protect those jobs if the Trump Administration seeks to enforce federal drug laws in states where marijuana is currently legal for sale and distribution.
Legislators consider five carbon emission regulation bills
Two bills would institute a “cap and trade” program. One puts a cap on emissions and directs the Environmental Quality Commission to develop a program to achieve the goal. Another sets a cap and a penalty schedule for those companies that don’t meet the cap. A fifth bill doesn’t include a cap on emissions but imposes a tax on carbon, the Statesman Journal reports. The public had its first chance to weigh in on the proposed bills yesterday in a joint hearing. Sen. Michael Dembrow, chair of the Senate committee, said one of the five will be approved by the end of the session.
Zoom+ heads to legislature
Zoom CEO Dave Sanders is working on a bill to clarify the difference between life-threatening and non-life-threatening emergency conditions, the Portland Business Journal reports. The battle stems from an Oregon Health Authority decision issued three months ago stating the term “emergency” — which Zoom+ uses to describe its Zoom+ Super clinic — is limited to licensed hospitals with emergency departments. Sanders says their clinic is prepared to treat emergencies that don’t require life-threatening emergency care.
PGE to ask for 5.6% rate increase
Portland General Electric asked utility regulators for the rate increase effective next January, the Oregonian reports. The increase is intended to cover increased transmission upgrade cost and investments to improve grid reliability. For residential customers, this increase would be 7.1%. This would increase the average customers’ bill by about $7.30 a month. Small businesses face a 5.7% increase and commercial customers could see an increase from 1.2% to 3.5%.
OB Original Blog: Navigating the trans-friendly workplace
A Q&A with employment lawyer P.K. Runkles-Pearson.
Portland ticketing platform raises $2 million in funding round
ImpactFlow CEO Tyler Foreman says the funding will allow the platform to begin competing with Eventbrite and Cvent, the Portland Business Journal reports. ImpactFlow recently opened a second office in New York City, which it also intends to expand as a result of the funding boost.
