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About North Douglas herald. (Drain Or) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2023)
Business News Legislative News: North Douglas, South Lane Business Resources Businesses in our area Business Cube Networking Small Business Finished Incredibly Strong with some Big Victories NFIB Oregon State Director An- thony Smith follows up on a previous wrapped-up story and post-session Roseburg, OR - Business Cube Networking of Douglas County comment news release with the follow- is built on the foundation of business professionals that desire to ing more comprehensive report on the engage and create dynamic partnerships while conveying ideas small-business agenda following the and sharing their experiences and education for the betterment of Legislature’s adjournment for the year. the whole. https://www.businesscubenetworking.com/ Online Facebook Groups Support North Douglas Local Business https://www.facebook.com/groups206344039803028/ Heart Of Douglas County https://www.facebook.com/groups/1652966221597833/ Governor Kotek Announces Appointment of Oregon Lottery Director August 23, 2023 Previously, he held positions in leadership at the Oregon Lottery as the Assistant Director for Security & Compliance and as a Cyber Crime Manager. Prior to joining the Oregon Lottery, Wells spent more than 24 years working in local, state, and federal law enforcement. Most recently, he served as a special agent for more than 10 years in the organized crime section of the Oregon Department of Justice and was a member of the FBI’s Cyber Crime Task Force conducting computer intrusion in- vestigations. Wells has served as a police officer for various agencies, including Oregon State Police. Terrebonne, OR—Governor Tina Kotek today announced that Mi- chael Wells, interim director of the Oregon Lottery, has been appointed to lead the agency as permanent di- rector, pending confirmation by the Oregon Senate in September. Wells has been a member of Cyber Oregon, Oregon’s Cybersecurity Ad- The director serves as the Secre- visory Council and is a board mem- tary and Executive Officer of the ber of the Oregon Peace Officer As- Oregon Lottery Commission and is sociation. He has previously served responsible for the administration on the Public Safety Fund Memorial and management of the agency. Board, the Police Policy Commit- tee and the Board on Public Safety “The Oregon Lottery funds critical Standards and Training (BPSST) state services like education, state Committee. parks, and veteran services,” Gov- ernor Kotek said. “It is imperative “During my tenure as interim direc- that the director is an experienced tor, I’ve had the privilege of leading leader who will champion transpar- an exceptional team dedicated ency and accountability. During his to ensuring the Lottery’s ongoing time at the Oregon Lottery, Michael support of its beneficiaries and key has worked closely with staff, the programs across our state,” Interim Commission, and stakeholders to Director Wells said. “I appreciate lead with the highest standards of Governor Kotek’s trust in my lead- security and integrity.” ership and look forward to leading the work of the Oregon Lottery in Michael Wells (he/him) has held the funding critical programs that serve interim director role at the Oregon Oregonians.” Lottery since December 2022. The Oregon Legislative Assembly ad- journed the 2023 legislative session on Day 160 as lawmakers finished their work Sunday, June 25, with just hours to spare. As required by the Or- egon Constitution, legislative sessions in odd-numbered years may last no more than 160 days. Unless a special session is called for some unforeseen reason, the Legislature will not meet again until February 2024. Small business finished the 2023 ses- sion incredibly strong. We passed two important tax bills – HB 2083, which extends Oregon’s state and local tax (SALT) cap workaround program, and SB 498, which creates a $15 million estate tax exemption for business owners engaged in farming, fishing, and forestry. The final days of the session also saw the demise of two harmful insurance bills (HB 3242, HB 3243), which would have both resulted in more lawsuits and higher insurance premiums for small-business owners. A few bad-for-business bills made it across the finish line this year, and the Legislature could have done far more to help small business. At times, it felt like lawmakers were content to accept the missed opportunities. But most of the truly objectionable ideas failed to pass – and on the whole, the 2023 ses- sion was arguably the best for small business in more than a decade! Scam Alert for Oregon Businesses! There is an alert out to watch for official looking paperwork asking businesses to file a 2014-Annual Minutes Form for Oregon Corporations, along with a $125 filing fee (Specifically, a Limited Liability Company, or LLC). Knowing that Oregon law doesn’t require businesses to officially file their annu- al minutes, you should immediately suspect that the request is a scam. The request comes from a company called “Annual Business Solutions” and contains a Salem, Oregon mailing address – but the company is not affiliated with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporations Division. And you don’t need to send them any infor- mation. Businesses need to keep annual minutes as part of their regular corporate compliance in order to maintain their limited liability status. But these minutes are internal documents that don’t need to be filed with the Corporation Division. Official correspondence from the State of Oregon will always include: An image of the Oregon state seal. The words “Secretary of State Corporation Division.” The Corporation Division phone number, 503-986-2200. Umpqua: 11 Small Business Development Center The Umpqua Small Business Devel- opment Center can help your business grow and thrive. With resources dedi- cated to making you a successful part of Douglas County’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Take advantage of no-cost advising, access to capital, online courses and resources for your business. Whether yours is a startup or an existing busi- ness, SBDC can help. Umpqua SBDC has assisted many local businesses, including Umpqua Oats, Smokin’ Friday, Two-Shy Brew- ing, Tropiceel, Wrappin N Rollin, Sha- ron Sawicki Jewelry, The Water Depot and many more. There is guidance in every aspect of business development and manage- ment, including: Access to capital Digital media Marketing Accounting and finance Starting a business Business planning Business management Contact SMBDC today at 541-440-7824 https://oregonsbdc.org/center/umpqua-sbdc/
