Archives

January 19, 2022 - Oregon natural gas prices to rise 10% (we pay above national average)

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation Oregonians who use natural gas could see their rates increase by nearly 10 percent if regulators grant a request from NW Natural—its second rate hike in three years. The average residential rates would increase from $63 to $70 a month, according to the Portland […]


January 17, 2022 - $3.6M allocated to White River fire recovery

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has allocated more than $3.6 million towards recovery efforts from the White River Fire. “The White River Fire demonstrated how quickly wildfire can spread with a changing climate causing high winds and […]


January 13, 2022 - Grocers, farmers applaud strike down of vaccine mandate

By National Grocers Association, On behalf of NGA members, the National Grocers Association supports the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend enforcement of the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard. The court’s ruling takes some pressure off independent community grocers, […]


January 12, 2022 - Farmers pay painful price for California port crisis

By Ching Lee California Farm Bureau As a major gateway for California agricultural trade, West Coast ports remain among the least efficient in the world, according to recent data. Now those clogged ports threaten farmers’ ability to get products to market—and could undermine their standing as reliable suppliers. In a […]


January 10, 2022 - Ag update: Capitol upheaval over Speaker step-down

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter The New Year is off to a busy start already with major political updates this week. First, Senate President Peter Courtney announced that he will retire at the end of this year (meaning a vacancy next year in his Senate seat and the Senate Presidency). Speaker […]


January 7, 2022 - Water rule changes pose harm to family farms

By American Farm Bureau Federation, The Biden administration recently proposed a “step 1” Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. Despite claims to the opposite from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers, a new WOTUS rule will have a large impact on small businesses and family […]


January 5, 2022 - Farmworkers, migrants part of 12M free test kit relief campaign

By Oregon Tax News, A surge in coronavirus cases due to the Omicron variant prompted Oregon health officials to order 12 million at-home Covid tests to distribute free to vulnerable populations. The Oregon Health Authority will collaborate with partner agencies to give the iHealth Labs Antigen Rapid Test kits to […]


January 3, 2022 - Man found in shallow grave at illegal pot farm

By Taxpayers Foundation of Oregon, A Hispanic man who worked at an illegal marijuana farm just north of the Oregon-California border was shot to death and buried in a shallow grave. Josephine County sheriff’s deputies found the man’s body October 8 off Samarkand Drive in O’Brien, Oregon, according to KPIC. […]


December 30, 2021 - 18 Senators ask Biden to take India to WTO on subsidies

By National Association of Wheat Growers, 18 U.S. Senators sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai requesting the administration pursue a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against India’s domestic support for rice and wheat production. The United States has previously highlighted […]


December 29, 2021 - How the Legislature helped farmers

By Oregon Family Farm Association, Farmers and ranchers struggling to recover from intense heat and drought found some relief from Oregon lawmakers who set aside $100 million during a one-day special session Dec. 13 to help them. According to Agri-Business, the Oregon Legislature approved to provide farmers with forgivable disaster […]