Transportation package goes from zero to 60, smoking age poised for a raise, and no-cause evictions are here to stay.
What a difference a week makes.
Let’s face it. Few people, yours truly included, thought Oregon lawmakers were going to get it together and pass a transportation package. But in an historic show of bipartisanship, policymakers pulled off the impossible and approved a $5.3 billion transportation funding bill. The House passed the legislation Wednesday, the Senate followed suit on Thursday, and the bill is now in front of Gov. Kate Brown, who needed a big win on transportation — badly.
The bill includes gas tax increases, bike registration fees and a directive to plan for tolls. OPB has more.
On a roll: Lawmakers take action on cigarettes. The House approved a bill yesterday to raise Oregon’s smoking age to 21. The bill already passed the Senate, and when it is signed by Gov. Brown, Oregon will be the third state to increase its smoking age. Read more from the Statesman Journal.
Losers. No-cause evictions languish on Senate floor. The tenant protections bill to ban no-cause evictions passed in the House in April but died in the Senate. The Portland Tribune has the story.
CanPay solves cannabis cash problem. The app, developed by a Bend-native, lets consumers pay with their debit or credit card. The Bend Bulletin has more.
Another day, another Oregon acquisition. Tualatin’s Pacific Foods was purchased by Campbell’s for $700 million. Cash.
OB Original Blog: Can agritourism save the farm? Multnomah County is considering an ordinance to allow agritourism in East County. I dive into the ramifications.
