Lake Oswego representative and economic development chair reflects on legislative session 

Rep. Daniel Nguyen, D-Lake Oswego, is the state legislator for Home District 38.

As a enterprise proprietor and head of the Oregon Home of Representatives Committee on ​Financial Improvement, Small Enterprise, and Commerce, Rep. Daniel Nguyen, D-Lake Oswego, is targeted on how you can revitalize the Oregon economic system and information it by means of headwinds.

There’s nonetheless loads of work to do, he mentioned.

“Within the Legislature, we focus quite a bit on our priorities like schooling, housing, psychological well being — they’re all essential. On the similar time I feel we have to give attention to the economic system and job creation and enterprise funding and retention and recruitment as effectively. That’s our tax base income base to do the issues we need to do,” he mentioned.

Throughout this legislative session, Nguyen advocated for a invoice that may create an Oregon commerce technique — which stalled in committee — and for a invoice designed to information an effort to carry an expert baseball group to Portland by taxing the long run income of gamers as a solution to pay for the development of a brand new stadium. That invoice handed.

The Lake Oswego resident mentioned that — particularly throughout an period when tariffs carry instability and uncertainty to the Oregon economic system — the state wants a unified plan and extra collaboration between businesses to climate uncertainties.

“Oftentimes insurance policies and payments don’t occur the primary time round. I count on to carry (the commerce technique) up once more through the quick session,” Nguyen mentioned.

Relating to the baseball invoice, Nguyen mentioned it was a primary step and acknowledged that bringing a Main League Baseball group to Portland will probably be a difficult effort as there’s loads of competitors for growth.

“The invoice permits us to no less than be thought of as a possible candidate for getting a group. The work isn’t performed and there’s extra due diligence that should occur,” he mentioned.

Additionally through the session, Nguyen took an financial tour of the state. A few of his stops included Agility Robotics in Salem, the Dawn Hall in Clackamas County, communities in Roseburg, Grants Cross and Central Level, and the Oregon Translational Analysis and Improvement Institute (OTRADI)/Oregon Bioscience Incubator in Portland. His takeaway was that the state must bolster and reimagine preexisting economies in rural elements of the state, similar to timber.

“Now we have to be spreading out financial prosperity throughout the state applicable for the industries that naturally reside there,” he mentioned.

One of many largest disappointments of the session was the lack of the Legislature to move a transportation funding bundle — which would require the Oregon Division of Transportation to conduct a whole bunch of layoffs. A funding bundle was launched late within the session and the Legislature wasn’t in a position to move it in time.

“It might have been higher if we had launched it earlier so we may have discussions in a extra strong method with public remark and suggestions,” Nguyen mentioned. “Extra time would have been useful to get folks to the place they understood the invoice and had a stage of consolation.”

Nguyen mentioned the Legislature ought to convene for an emergency session to repair this transportation funding shortfall. Gov. Tina Kotek has hinted at the potential for calling such a session.

With the six-month marathon over, Nguyen mentioned he’s going to take a couple of weeks to decompress from the session and accumulate his ideas. Nevertheless, he feels the state must proceed to attempt to reverse inhabitants flight, significantly from Multnomah County, and make downtown Portland extra vibrant.

“Our work isn’t performed,” he mentioned.