Leaders from the private and public sectors will discuss ways to create more prosperity before the upcoming legislative session at the annual Oregon Business Summit, which will be held today in Portland.
BY JACOB PALMER | OB DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Leaders from the private and public sectors will discuss ways to create more prosperity before the upcoming legislative session at the annual Oregon Business Summit, which will be held today in Portland.
The Oregon Business Plan will be released at the event, according to the Associated Press:
Rather than specific bills, it calls broadly for policies that corporate leaders believe would improve the business climate, raise employment, improve wages and reduce poverty.
With Democrats empowered by expanded majorities in the House and Senate, business officials are pushing issues on which they hope they can find common ground.
The Portland Tribune provides a breakdown of what’s on this year’s docket, which will include more discussion of Gov. John Kitzhaber’s vision for education reform.
Also on the agenda:
• Strengthening rural economies by focusing on growing the natural resources industries, including wood and agricultural products.
• Investing in critical infrastructure that allows communities and businesses to connect to markets, including high-impact projects that can make a difference across the state. (See related story on a congestion study, Page A3.)
Oregon Business editor Linda Baker will be attending the event. Follow her on Twitter for live updates.
.@thompsNmorrisN Education system hasn’t changed in 100 years & way we educate children must be reimagined. Challenge is relevancy.
— Linda Baker (@lindabak) January 6, 2015
This year’s summit could have a different tone than recent years past as the economy is in a good place with hiring up and unemployment claims down. According to a study done by the University of Oregon, the state’s economy is growing.
The UO said the positive trends helped lift a pair of economic indexes it tracks, suggesting Oregon’s economy will continue to expand.
The Oregon Measure of Economic Activity increased to an average reading of 0.60 for the three months ending in November, compared with a reading of 0.33 ending in October. Any result above zero suggests the state’s economy is expanding beyond average.
Read more about the study at OregonLive.com.
