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Bipartisan group calls for comprehensive immigration reform

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A bipartisan group of Oregon civic leaders held an immigration reform Day of Action on Wednesday (August 3, 2016), calling on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform. “We may not agree on everything, but we can agree that all people should be treated with dignity and respect,” said Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek (D-Portland).

Administration raises threshold for overtime exemption

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The White House announced on May 18 that it will essentially double the threshold at which salaried employees performing certain executive, professional or administrative duties are exempt from overtime pay. The current threshold is $23,660 and will roughly double to $47,476. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez told reporters the exemption was originally intended for high-paid executives, […]

Oregon nurseries launch Lean consortium

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A consortium of four Oregon nurseries announced a year-long effort to learn and apply principles of Lean — also known as the “Toyota Production System.” Lean is a method for eliminating waste that results in more value to customers, delivered at a lower cost, in a shorter time, with fewer defects and less human effort. […]

Oregon horticultural sales hit $932 million for 2014

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The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service has released its new 2014 Census of Horticultural Specialties, which was the first taken since 2009. The massive, 583-page document contains national as well as state-by-state data for various industry sectors as well as individual plant genera.

Oregon Flora Project takes first comprehensive look at state’s plants in a half century

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A new book by the Oregon Flora Project is the first comprehensive assessment of the state’s native and naturalized plants since 1961. “Flora of Oregon: Volume 1: Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Monocots” was published in the fall of 2015 by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. It can be ordered for $75 online at oregonflora.org. Volume […]

Court puts new ‘waters of the U.S.’ rule on hold

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A federal court has put on hold the EPA’s new “waters of the United States” rule, which was announced back in the spring and was widely criticized by leaders from both major political parties as a case of federal overreach. Opponents, including most agricultural groups, fear the rule, if implemented, could subject marginal waterways to […]

Oregon minimum wage will not increase in 2016

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Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced last week that the minimum wage will remain unchanged next year because the consumer price index (CPI), a measure of inflation and a key economic indicator, was almost unchanged. By law, Oregon’s minimum wage is tied to the CPI. The CPI rose .02 percent, according to annual economic numbers released by the federal government, […]