In today’s news, Phil Knight donates another $500 million, Nike loses MLB contract and Oregon’s high school grad rate is third worst in the nation.
1. Phil Knight gives UO largest single donation in U.S. history
Knight donated $500 million to the University of Oregon for a science complex on the Eugene campus. UO hopes to use the science complex to speed up the real world impact of scientific discoveries, the Oregonian reports. This isn’t the first $500 million donation made by Knight. He handed over the same amount to Oregon Health & Science University three years ago for a cancer research institute.
2. Meanwhile Nike lost its MLB partnership
Under Armor and Fanatics will take over as licensing partner starting in 2020, the Portland Business Journal reports. Nike has been the official MLB sponsor since 2005. This is the latest Nike loss in the battle with Under Armor for the athletic market.
3. Oregon high school grad rate 47th in nation
Only 73.8% of high school seniors earn diplomas, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That’s nearly 10% below the national average, the Register Guard reports. Days in school could contribute to the low rate. Oregon students only spend 165 days in school, while the national average is closer to 180. Oregon’s ranking is despite a 2% improvement rate.
4. OPB poll finds Democrats to win Oregon; Measure 97 too close to call
The poll conducted by DHM Research found Hillary Clinton has a 9% lead over Donald Trump. In the Governor’s race, Kate Brown has a 13% lead over Republican challenger Bud Pierce. OPB reports Measures 96 and 98 — guaranteeing lottery money for veteran’s services and outdoor school programs respectively — hold a strong majority. Measure 97, the 2.5% corporate income tax, has 48% of voters against, 43% in favor. The margin of error is 4%, which means Measure 97 could go either way.
5. Recreational pot sales will likely exceed projections
To date, more than $160 million in marijuana products have been sold. That’s a $40 million tax yield for the state, as reported by the Statesman Journal. Officials projected $43 million in taxes for the year. With more than two months left in the year, and an average of $4 million per month in taxes, that goal will likely be surpassed. The taxes collected are merely a fraction of the market, however. Officials believe the black market is close to $600 million in annual sales. If those sales switched to legal purchases, that could mean an additional $240 million in state taxes.
6. Portland officials tour Haven for Hope
The San Antonio homeless campus is the model for Portland’s proposed campus at Terminal 1. Portland Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler joined Commissioner Steve Novick and four city staffers last weekend to tour the campus and learn more about how Haven for Hope operates, the Portland Tribune reports. A temporary shelter has been approved by the city, but steps to open the facility have yet to take place.
7. Health insurers in slow recovery amid ACA fallout
Research editor Kim Moore reports on the state’s troubled health insurance market.
