​June 27, 2018 - A measure strengthening Oregon’s required supermajority in order to increase state revenue appears that it is headed to the ballot in November. The measure clarifies that changes in tax rates, exemptions, or elimination of credits or deductions require at least three-fifths support in each chamber of the legislature. 

A coalition of small business groups turned in over 174,000 signatures supporting the measure by the end of June. The coalition believes that tax and fee increases should receive support from at least three-fifths of the legislature as voters intended when they passed Ballot Measure 63 in 1998.

​Do you think raising taxes on your family and homegrown Oregon companies should be as easy to approve as declaring marionberry pie the official state pie?

We didn’t think so.

The bar should be higher for the legislature to approve taking more of your hard-earned paycheck. Tax increases should always be the last option—never the first.

We have a solution. We need you to visit EndEasyTaxHikes.com/orla right now to add your name to a citizen initiative petition to prevent the legislature from using gimmicks and loopholes to raise taxes easily.

At EndEasyTaxHikes.com/orla, you can download and sign a petition—it will only take you three minutes. The website includes easy instructions to help you get signatures from your family members and colleagues as well.

With your help, ORLA and thousands of other Oregonians will place Initiative Petition 31 on the ballot this November to end easy tax hikes.

Background:

Ten years ago Oregonians smartly passed a constitutional amendment requiring any tax increase be approved by a supermajority of both the State House and State Senate. Now, since our state legislature can't get a supermajority to vote for a tax increase, they are creating and increasing "assessments" and "fees" that are really tax increases - because they only need a simple majority to implement and raise fees and assessments. We need you to visit EndEasyTaxHikes.com/ORLA and add your name to a citizen initiative petition to prevent the legislature from using gimmicks and loopholes to raise taxes easily. It's time to put a stop to this… a tax is a tax.

Oregon's Minimum Wage Continues to Rise

The 7-year minimum wage escalation plan for Oregon went into effect with the first increases on July 1, 2016. The plan includes 3 regions with different escalation methodologies over the course of those 7 years. The wage scale is as follows:

STANDARD: Includes portions of Multnomah / Clackamas / Washington Counties not within the Portland Urban Growth Boundary as well as Marion, Clatsop, Polk, Josephine, Jackson, Deschutes, Lincoln, Benton, Linn, Lane, Tillamook, Yamhill, Columbia, Hood River, and Wasco Counties.

• July 1, 2016: $9.75
• July 1, 2017: $10.25
• July 1, 2018: $10.75
• July 1, 2019: $11.25
• July 1, 2020: $12.00
• July 1, 2021: $12.75
• July 1, 2022: $13.50

PORTLAND METRO: The Portland Metro rate applies to employers located within the urban growth boundary (UGB) of the metropolitan service district. This includes portions of Multnomah / Clackamas / Washington Counties and cities including Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Oregon City, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, and Damascus. Use Metro's Urban Growth Boundary lookup tool to determine if your address is within the UGB. 
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• July 1, 2016: $9.75
• July 1, 2017: $11.25
• July 1, 2018: $12.00
• July 1, 2019: $12.50
• July 1, 2020: $13.25
• July 1, 2021: $14.00
• July 1, 2022: $14.75

The Urban Growth Boundary is expanded through the process outlined in Title 14 of the Urban Growth Management Functional Plan. The process involves a needs assessment every 6 years, and as-needed review based on local jurisdiction input on a more frequent basis. For questions about the process of UGB expansions, contact Tim O’Brien at Metro.

NONURBAN: Includes Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wheeler counties.
• July 1, 2016: $9.50
• July 1, 2017: $10.00
• July 1, 2018: $10.50
• July 1, 2019: $11.00
• July 1, 2020: $11.50
• July 1, 2021: $12.00
• July 1, 2022: $12.50

ORLA will continue to educate Oregon’s lawmakers on the value of tip credit as a solution to bring stability to the industry and solve wage inequality issues.