U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) gave the OAN and its members prominent mention last week while testifying against <A href=”http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:SN743:” target=”_blank”>S.873</a>, which would require retailers to collect sales taxes for remote jurisdictions in a greater number of instances. Wyden said it would effectively create an Internet transaction tax. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also testified against […]
OAN responds on estate tax issue
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For the last several years, industry leaders and key legislators have been working hard to pass and perfect workable estate tax reform that gives relief to family-owned nurseries and other resource-based businesses (farms, timber operations, fishing operations). Although the Oregonian published coverage that overemphasized the extremes of the debate at the expense of a fair […]
Nurseries and the 2011 Legislature
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How may nurseries be affected by the 2011 Oregon Legislature and its revised political landscape? Mitch Lies of the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.) takes a look. Among the legislative priorities for the Oregon Association of Nurseries are protecting the Oregon Department of Agriculture against budget cuts, preventing attempts to regulate immigration (properly a federal matter) […]
Forum on Measures 66, 67 set for Dec. 8
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The OAN Government Relations Committee will host a debate on Measures 66 and 67 at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. and will be held at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, 29751 S.W. Town Center Loop West, Wilsonville, Ore. (directions). Representatives from two groups – Oregonians Against Job-Killing […]
The governor’s signature
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OAN issued the following press release this afternoon: The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) and its more than 1,300 members are grateful that Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed a bill protecting nurseries against the threat of an unfair new tax, OAN Director of Government Relations Jeff Stone said today. “Many of our growers are relieved they […]
Hip hoop hooray
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Hoop house growers are no doubt rejoicing as House Bill 2904 passed the Oregon Senate this afternoon, 28-0. Next the bill goes back to the House for concurrence.
Knocked for a hoop
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This spring, the Oregon Department of Revenue (ODR) proposed a rule change that would tax hoop houses as if they were permanent structures – a move that could greatly add to the tax bills of growers who own dozens if not hundreds of the poly-film enclosures. OAN Director of Government Relations Jeff Stone testified before […]
‘Rich’ on paper
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How will yesterday’s votes to approve state corporate and personal tax hikes affect small businesses? Sen. Larry George, R-Sherwood, a hazelnut grower, says it won’t be a good thing. “This tax is about one thing. It’s about taxing entrepreneurs,” he said. “This is an incredibly personal bill to me.” Watch his eight-minute floor speech:
Tax hikes approved – for real
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That didn’t take long. The legislative logjam we talked about this morning has been broken. The Oregon Senate this morning approved two bills – one to raise corporate taxes and another to raise income taxes. Both were carried on a party line vote, 18 yes (all Democrats), 11 no (all Republicans) and one Republican not […]
Tax hikes approved – NOT
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Yesterday we told you about increases in state corporate and personal income taxes, which seemed all but assured. Not so fast. The Oregon Senate yesterday failed to muster the two-thirds majority needed to raise taxes. Sen. Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) broke party ranks with his 17 fellow Senate Democrats by voting against one of the bills, […]
