[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6118981,"mediaKeyId","2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110","parentId",2715445,"title","Lawmakers hear support for $8.75 million in lottery bonds for Williams and Russell business hub in Albina","audioSeconds",1677,"startMs",2552202,"endMs",4229832,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110&start=2552&end=4229","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110/thumbnail_2552202.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6118981/Oregon/Lawmakers-hear-support-for-875-million-in-lottery-bonds-for-Williams-and-Russell-business-hub-in-Albina","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118981-137dc9adb76e19df99fdde0be61a1562/orig.mp4?Expires=1775042071&Signature=FmbWTerqERi3Jsr0TvjTjn9sdAB0x4~SgoYFYQ162DGOiM6cHG-rJUcmT8kflfozOsK3rjEp-Mx6M1qiO4mN6Ow5MY0G0Gb4K-1ZECDFIpjieXijyL-00oYn2EVML~n6gWKQoGCyzpjZl7Oc71nJEhCC0KoQbniruillcuEUyT1-pekoaZySOuCfgDams5zoHzV2W4r8he16ZIrmzmN8Z-Pw8Ox4tCLHKbK1XPDPGqgzTSG8GbQDaUPmSCFtW3rBAdune8Sfkl5KFW~NWUz7X0gU9UgubYn11BfDUJQFe8uyCXdVvqL9pX19LBeyf2ykmf1Y50cVH0jhD5~fW-qoaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","Salem, Ore. — Lawmakers heard broad support March 20 for Senate Bill 11‑10, which would authorize the state treasurer, at the request of the Department of Administrative Services, to issue lottery bonds yielding $8,750,000 in net proceeds and interest earnings to fund the Williams and Russell business hub in Portland’s Albina neighborhood.

The funds would be transferred to the Department of Administrative Services for distribution to Williams and Russell CDC to develop office and retail space, professional development and workforce training capacity, and other small‑business supports on the Hill Block. Committee staff described the measure as a targeted lottery bond authorization; the bonds must be issued by June 30, 2026 if the measure is enacted.

Supporters called the project a restorative investment. “This funding is a crucial step and a long overdue effort to restore economic opportunity and justice to a community that has faced decades of displacement,” said Representative Travis Nelson, who represents North and Northeast Portland.

Why it matters: Witnesses framed the project as a community‑led reconstruction of economic infrastructure after decades of displacement and vacancy. Speakers said the site, condemned and left vacant in the 1970s during hospital expansion, is now being returned to community stewardship for housing, a business hub and other uses.

Project details presented to the committee: Williams and Russell CDC and partners are developing three linked components on the 1.7‑acre site — a business hub, affordable rental housing and homeownership townhomes. The total project cost for all three components was presented as $129,000,000; the Black Business Hub portion is estimated at $34,000,000. Witnesses said project partners had already secured city funds, federal and philanthropic support, and other grants, and that the requested $8,750,000 would complete the funding package for the business hub portion.

Azalea Renfield, executive director of Williams and Russell CDC, told the committee the CDC is developing 85 affordable one‑ to two‑bedroom rental units with an on‑site daycare, 20 affordable townhomes for homeownership and a 30,000‑square‑foot business hub to support entrepreneurs and workforce training. Bryson Davis, president of Williams and Russell CDC, said the hub reflects seven years of community organizing and expressed the project as a model for community‑led development.

Prosper Portland confirmed a city commitment of $12,400,000 toward site cleanup and hub development. Anya Lejalova, CEO of ADRE and the project’s development partner, said the business hub will use mass timber construction to reduce embodied carbon and support local forest economies; she noted a USDA Wood Innovations grant awarded to the project.

Longtime residents and former business owners also testified. Paul Knauls recounted operating a restaurant and other businesses on the block before its demolition and urged support so new generations could build generational wealth.

Action and next steps: The committee closed the public hearing. Committee leadership indicated an intention to move the measure to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means for budgetary consideration, but no formal referral vote was recorded in the transcript. If the bill proceeds, the state treasurer would issue the bonds and the Department of Administrative Services would distribute proceeds to the CDC for the business hub.

Supporters told the committee the request represents a comparatively small share of the project’s total cost — roughly 7 percent of the $129 million combined package — and that private and philanthropic investments are already committed. Witnesses asked legislators to view the bond request as an investment in restorative economic development for North and Northeast Portland.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Labor and Business 03/20/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers heard broad support March 20 for Senate Bill 11‑10, which would authorize lottery bonds producing $8,750,000 in net proceeds to help fund the Williams and Russell business hub in Portland’s Albina neighborhood.","taxTitle","Labor and Business, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17989,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6118975,"Senate hearing features split testimony on bill to change employer liability for shortened meal breaks",678,4216244,4894954,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110&start=4216&end=4894","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110/thumbnail_4216244.jpg","/articles/6118975/Oregon/Senate-hearing-features-split-testimony-on-bill-to-change-employer-liability-for-shortened-meal-breaks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118975-8da00f2169b522ac7c8bd688f5b21bbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1775042071&Signature=JSdVajXzpffW4njfXaGKZMJy4KrC9z0RbNK2byU2XAa~BigCamWROj-DqiFzXksfKqNAmmTQAHubP7nsoX4vU6hrMNSMB7fHOaZnHph1PGxQlMfAKJukmgb8DkIL72JCOzAHwSRxSb68POwi8kpP8QtTxzXpodfCAbBz67TJyzwj5zANpSIAhsm~1PcO3JAkT20KLMzzpr~g1sqYZqIpBAHWr-PWHjPJ20YMUYoSndN0mTN3TaHHQxlI516YCP6kV2IIaWFRGa37oLzVCGR5ntTYNfy~afN2xFDZ8POgeSIZXJ2ZsuQCVLRfyRwD5pTVnsK0zkanDCo9hFF4fgkKYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Salem, Ore. — Lawmakers heard competing testimony March 20 on Senate Bill 10‑44, a bill that would change how Oregon treats shortened meal periods for employees by clarifying that work time excludes meal periods, giving the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) rulemaking authority to set the amount owed for violations and specifying that that amount would be a penalty rather than wages.

Senator Bonham, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure would reduce strict liability on employers in cases where shortened meal periods resulted from employee choice rather than employer direction. Paloma Sparks, executive vice president and general counsel at Oregon Business and Industry, told the committee that Oregon courts have imposed strict liability that forces employers to pay full penalties even when employers provided and encouraged meal breaks. “Oregon's current approach is out of step with how other states impose penalties for missed meal periods,” Sparks said.

Why it matters: Under current Oregon law and court interpretations, employers can face large statutory penalties when a 30‑minute meal period is shortened, even by minutes and even where the employer had provided and encouraged the break. SB 10‑44 would allow BOLI to adopt rules specifying penalties and would treat certain short shortenings (five minutes or less) as non‑violations if the employer provided and encouraged an uninterrupted meal period and the shortening was not at employer direction.

Opponents said the bill would remove an important enforcement tool. Attorney Quinn Kranz, who represents workers, said the only beneficiaries would be employers who choose not to provide full breaks: “The only people who would benefit from this bill are employers who choose to, violate the laws and not provide an employee their 30 minute uninterrupted lunch period.” Worker advocates and trial attorneys argued that front‑line employees in low‑wage workplaces often face pressure to cut breaks and that the existing statutory remedies provide meaningful deterrence.

Committee staff and business witnesses presented examples to illustrate legal exposure. Counsel for the business community described hypothetical scenarios where five minutes of a shortened meal period could, under court rulings, lead to large penalty‑wage exposure; the testimony used an illustrative example in which a worker earning $20 an hour could trigger penalty wages in the thousands of dollars depending on the circumstances. Worker advocates said such scenarios arise when employers pressure or require workers to return early.

Action and next steps: The committee held a public hearing and closed the record March 20; no formal committee vote was recorded in the transcript. Lawmakers and witnesses signaled sharply different views about whether the change would create needed clarity or weaken employee protections. If the Legislature advances SB 10‑44, BOLI rulemaking and judicial interpretation would shape its practical effects.","Senate Bill 10‑44 would change how Oregon treats shortened meal periods by making certain small shortenings non‑violations and by directing the Bureau of Labor and Industries to set penalties by rule.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6118986,"Senate committee advances rideshare driver protections bill to rules after informational hearing",5128,123181,5251481,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110&start=123&end=5251","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2715445-f82a8899fd991d6a7b9ab05c71964110/thumbnail_123181.jpg","/articles/6118986/Oregon/Senate-committee-advances-rideshare-driver-protections-bill-to-rules-after-informational-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118986-f2298dcd5e6cc0f51edd52c3f6d18304/orig.mp4?Expires=1775042071&Signature=OOiZHkhskaBaoNlzXvRWcIiEyK1~iUyqsPQE~LUpsyWqLb5ooEHExy83D-Ahp~8iaAcU783BHlRtTbB~ZS1~EiA2Mt6nqV4YY7M2LHk6ICs9~W4DUOWw6kUArAXgtOhLOHqQd6bFsIs9FgvilPodR7PTgCA651e2aUf~Tb71fe3RdYx-~-YelGVpKIFmJcvWih1jCfBOvKpC~A~Z7KxWiNy0s7MHdOG5T1khBchFvx~kPFTPKzUXKQEUA9zPrCRJDk9zueNUUummP~xggERCJBBFxdKIvM2VWUtFD-mbuRveN6ebfYPSNDxcVKrINMxrsDLeoTwEx~sSVfulIeQ~tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Salem, Ore. — The Senate Committee on Labor and Business advanced an expansive rideshare-worker bill to the Senate Rules Committee on March 20 after an informational hearing that drew drivers, union organizers and company representatives.

Senate Bill 11‑66, sponsored by Senator Jama and Representative Sosa, would require transportation network companies (TNCs) to pay minimum compensation rates to drivers, establish written policies and an appeals process for account deactivations, create minimum paid sick time for TNC drivers, direct the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to contract with a nonprofit to operate a drivers’ resource center, and vest BOLI with enforcement authority. The bill as presented declares an emergency and sets an effective date of July 1, 2025.

The bill’s sponsors and drivers said the measure aims to raise earnings and add procedural protections for people who drive for services such as Uber and Lyft. “We deserve a living wage,” said Stephanie King, a Portland‑area full‑time rideshare driver, describing multi‑hour shifts, lost bonuses and a roughly $1,600 monthly income drop she said resulted from company changes. Nathaniel Hudson Hartman, an organizer with Drivers Union Oregon, told the committee: “No worker should ever have to choose between their health and their income.”

Why it matters: The proposal addresses how algorithmic pricing, incentives and company appeals processes affect driver livelihoods across Oregon. Supporters said minimum compensation and clearer deactivation appeal rights would reduce arbitrary terminations and raise standards for drivers; opponents warned higher mandated pay could raise fares, reduce demand and limit service availability in some communities.

During the informational hearing, industry and platform representatives urged more study and a collaborative working process. Zahid Arab, testifying for Boomer Technologies, said the compensation rates in the bill are “among the highest in the country” when cost of living and insurance are included and warned of higher fares and reduced access for low‑income riders. Marissa Cade, representing Lyft, said Lyft would participate in a work group to develop an Oregon‑specific approach. Scott Burge, a longtime Uber driver and former mayor of Scappoose, offered a back‑of‑the‑envelope comparison he attributed to his calculations: for a representative Portland‑to‑airport trip without surge, a driver would receive roughly $12.70 under current Oregon pay, about $23 in nearby Washington State, and, he said, about $32 under the bill; riders’ fares would correspondingly be higher. Burge characterized his numbers as rough estimates supplied to illustrate the bill’s potential impact on pricing and driver behavior.

Committee members and witnesses said the measure draws on policies from other states — committee staff cited Colorado and Washington as models for various provisions — but is not an exact replica of any single state law. Questions during the hearing also touched on whether a statewide framework would preempt local rules; presenters and company representatives said they expected local jurisdictions such as Portland to be stakeholders in any statewide policy discussion.

Action and next steps: In a work session later the same day, the committee voted to move SB 11‑66 without recommendation back to the Senate President, requesting re‑referral to the Senate Committee on Rules. Vice Chair Bonham moved the motion; the chair called for objections and, seeing none, announced the motion passed without a roll call. Committee members said the Rules Committee was an appropriate place for additional technical work and stakeholder negotiation given the bill’s scope.

Committee members signaled several issues they intend to track as SB 11‑66 proceeds: the interplay between any new minimum pay and drivers’ independent contractor status; enforcement authority and penalties under BOLI; how deactivation appeals would operate in practice; and potential consumer impacts if fares rise. Chair Taylor said she would watch closely whether the bill changes worker classification and how affordability and access for smaller communities would be preserved.

Supporters and opponents both said they were open to a negotiated working group or further study. Several witnesses urged a process that includes drivers, local governments and companies so changes are tailored to Oregon’s mix of urban and rural markets. The measure remains subject to revision and further committee consideration if referred back from Rules.","After an informational hearing March 20, the Senate Committee on Labor and Business moved Senate Bill 11‑66—intended to set minimum compensation, appeal rights for deactivations, paid sick time and other protections for rideshare drivers—to the Rules Committee without recommendation, citing the bill’s complexity and need for more work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers hear support for $8.75 million in lottery bonds for Williams and Russell business hub in Albina

Senate hearing features split testimony on bill to change employer liability for shortened meal breaks

Senate committee advances rideshare driver protections bill to rules after informational hearing