MultCo commits to renewable energy, marijuana user projections pass House and Salem council pushes forward with Uber rules.
Portland, Multnomah County commit to renewable energy
Mayor Ted Wheeler and County Chair Deborah Kafoury announced a commitment Monday to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, the Oregonian reports. The plan dictates meeting all electricity needs with renewable sources by 2035 and transitioning away from any remaining dirty energy sources by 2050. Wheeler said the plan requires deliberate steps and policy changes, to which he fully commits. The financial aspects of the plan were not announced.
Marijuana customer protections bill headed to Governor
A bill to prevent cannabis retailers from recording customer information passed the House yesterday and is now en route to Gov. Kate Brown for signing, OPB reports. The measure is intended to make it harder for federal officials to track consumers in case of a crackdown by the current administration.
Cannabis industry faces higher tax
A proposed bill would allow local governments to increase marijuana sales taxes from 3% to 8%, the Portland Business Journal reports. While the tax has bipartisan support in the legislature, marijuana shop owners say the tax is going in the wrong direction. House Bill 2204 was scheduled for a committee vote today, but it was removed from the meeting agenda.
OB Original Blog: Salem council pushes forward with Uber rules
The Salem City council tested its new Facebook Live stream for the first time with a conversation about a not so new topic: legalizing rideshare companies.
Lane Transit wants rapid transit
The Lane Transit District is seeking $30 million from the state to fund a new rapid transit bus line, the Register Guard reports. The ask would serve as matching funds to a federal grant the LTD intends to apply for next year. The funding would come in the form of lottery-backed bonds, of which the state has $200 million to allocate. The LTD has one existing rapid transit line with another under construction and five more proposed.
OB Original Blog: Port critic ‘disappointed’ by finalist selection process
Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society, says the Port’s failure to bring the two outside candidates Portland sends a message that “what the public thinks is not important.”
Meyer Memorial Trust CEO to leave in 2018
Doug Stamm announced yesterday that he’s leaving the state’s third-largest charitable trust next year, the Portland Business Journal reports. Stamm has served as CEO since 2002. Meyer Memorial will launch a search for his replacement this summer.
