Bend awarded $5 million federal grant to fuel affordable housing production
Bend Bulletin The city of Bend has received a $5 million grant intended to kickstart affordable housing supply, the federal government announced Wednesday. Awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the grant set the course for the city to identify and address policies that slow affordable housing
Wyden, Merkley announce $30.1 million in ‘Payments in Lieu of Taxes’ to Oregon counties; $6 million to C. Oregon
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday that counties throughout Oregon will receive more than $30.1 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024, including over $6 million for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT
Wyden, Merkley, colleagues call on Postal Service to prepare for November election
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senator Ron Wyden said Thursday he is leading Senate colleagues including fellow Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley in calling on Postmaster General DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service to share their plans to accommodate high volumes of mail expected in the upcoming 2024 general election in Oregon and nationwide.
Tax ID theft: ‘Watch your bank accounts’
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More than 600,000 Americans were victims of tax ID fraud as of September 2015 and the IRS paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent tax returns in 2013. With just a week left before tax day, Senator Jeff Merkley is taking action against tax identity theft. Merkley visited
Klamath agreements a ‘first step’
The landmark Klamath agreements signed Wednesday are only one piece of the Basin’s water solution, groups say. Audubon California commended the deal while pointing out that Klamath wildlife refuges remain without water certainty and adequate water supplies to support migrating waterfowl. “We’re excited to see the removal of the Klamath
Democrats Push Payday Lending Bill to Tackle What CFPB Can’t
WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and nine other Democrats are attempting to block a go-around they say payday lenders use to avoid complying with state laws. The Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic (SAFE) Lending Act introduced Thursday would prevent payday lenders from using remotely created checks to withdraw
Dem bill cracks down on payday lenders
Senate Democrats are looking to crack down on payday lenders. The Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic (SAFE) Lending Act introduced Thursday by Sen.Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) would deliver a blow to payday lenders that critics say charge dangerously high interest rates and fees on short-term loans. The SAFE Act would block
Senator Jeff Merkley Champions a Cheaper 401 (k) Alternative
Where others before him have failed, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon is championing a new savings vehicle to boost retirement security for the American workforce. He joins a coterie of policymakers and think tank denizens who are concerned about the 68 million full- and part-time workers without access to
Merkley: Affordable housing a crisis in Oregon
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said rising house prices and rental costs, plus an extremely low rental vacancy rate, are contributing to an affordable housing crisis in Southern Oregon and across the state. “Families are just being absolutely squeezed as a result,” said Merkley, who met with local housing experts