Morning Roundup


Photo credit: Statesman Journal

Oregon stands by immigration policy, marijuana revenue tops $5M a month and Wyden commits to fight for ACA.

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Trump issues new immigrant deportation order

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin targeted deportation operations nationwide. In Oregon, law enforcement officials say this order won’t change their policy, the Statesman Journal reports. State law prevents law enforcement from using funding, equipment or personnel from arresting undocumented immigrants who are only in violation of federal immigration laws. There are an estimated 130,000 undocumented immigrants in Oregon.

Marijuana tax revenue continues to climb

In January, the tax rate on recreational marijuana dropped from 25% to 17%. Despite the decrease, the state received $5.3 million in tax revenue in January, OPB reports. Economists say consumers are buying at the same rate as last year.

Wyden pledges commitment to Medicaid expansion 

Sen. Ron Wyden is touring rural Oregon to gather stories about the Affordable Care Act and its impact. At a recent stop in Bend, the U.S. senator told crowds he intends to fight for healthcare in the legislature, the Bend Bulletin reports. Dismantling the ACA is a top priority for the new administration. This leaves states like Oregon, which expanded healthcare coverage, unsure of future access to health services. Wyden is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees Medicare, Medicaid and the tax credit used to purchase private health insurance. 

Portland commuting ranks 12th worst in the nation

Portlanders’ suspicions have once again been confirmed: the traffic sucks. A new study by INRIX ranks Portland 12th worst out of 240 U.S. cities and 40th out of 1,064 cities worldwide, Willamette Week reports. The study compared cities by average time spent in traffic annually. For Portland drivers, that’s 47 hours.

OB Opinion: To solve affordable housing problem increase supply

Columnist Joe Cortright writes that solving housing affordability will depend on a market-based solution. 

Outdoor Project snags $2 million in funding

The Portland startup built an online resource for hikers and campers. Outdoor Project’s site includes maps, guides and photos the outdoor community can utilize to plan activities. The funding will expand the site’s content to include the entire U.S. and regions in Canada, the Portland Business Journal reports.

TriMet to evaluate ice policy

In the midst of snowpocalypse 2017, a MAX train derailed leaving morning commuters (yours truly included) in the lurch. It turns out, TriMet doesn’t have any defined policies when it comes to ice on the tracks. This lack of policy could be the cause behind TriMet’s first derailment, the Oregonian reports. TriMet officials say in light of the January incident, the agency is reviewing its ice policy to prevent another derailment.