Oregon Prosperity Council ReportJune 2026 · progressive-disclosure index

Full Report

Section indexSource PDF pp. 9–33 ↗view raw markdown

Full Report

Full Report -- 25 pages · pp. 9-33

Contents

Section PDF pages Description
[doc] Introduction: Pillars of Prosperity pp. 9-12 The Oregon Prosperity Council introduction frames the state's economic crisis—stagnant incomes, population slowdown, business departures—and calls for urgent, bold reforms focused on jobs growth, accountability, and competitiveness. The recommendations emerge from a statewide engagement process spanning 1,000+ survey responses, 60+ listening sessions across 11 regions, and 45+ stakeholder submissions. Five growth sectors are identified: agriculture, forestry, applied AI, sports/outdoor industries, and life sciences/clean energy. The approach prioritizes proven strategies and measurable outcomes.
[dir] Chapter 1: Statewide Economic Development Strategy & Structural Reform pp. 13-15 Chapter 1 identifies Oregon's fragmented economic development system—spanning more than 850 organizations managing more than 90 legislatively directed programs—as lacking coordination and responsiveness. The recommended solution consolidates these functions into the Oregon Commerce Authority with measurable statewide goals, board-level business leadership, and $10 million per-project innovation district investments modeled on cross-functional collaboration.
[dir] Chapter 2: Taxes pp. 16-20 Chapter 2 examines Oregon's uncompetitive tax structure: higher effective tax rates than peer states, layered local taxes, and over-reliance on personal income tax drive business and household migration. Stakeholder feedback reports $3.5 billion in personal income losses. Recommendations include modernizing R&D credits, reforming estate and corporate taxes, and launching comprehensive reform by 2029.
[dir] Chapter 3: Permitting & Regulations pp. 21-24 Chapter 3 addresses Oregon's fragmented permitting system as a barrier to business competitiveness. Core recommendations establish enforceable timelines, reduce regulatory burdens by 20% by 2029, improve multi-agency coordination, and adopt a Cap and Invest greenhouse gas program. Additional proposals include performance standards, solutions-oriented agency culture, and tri-state alignment, aiming for an efficient, transparent system competitive with West Coast peers.
[dir] Chapter 4: Site Readiness & Infrastructure pp. 25-27 Chapter 4 addresses Oregon's critical shortage of development-ready land and infrastructure, which constrains economic competitiveness. It proposes a $250 million/biennium site readiness fund, modernized land-use statutes, consistent evaluation criteria across jurisdictions, and regional targets of 3–6 shovel-ready sites to enable business attraction and support statewide growth objectives.
[dir] Chapter 5: Talent Development pp. 28-33 Chapter 5 addresses Oregon's fragmented talent system (37th nationally in per-student appropriations, 24% less than average). It proposes establishing a Cabinet of Economic & Talent Development and allocating $20M per biennium to the University Innovation Research Fund, with goals to reach top 10 in math and reading while building coordinated pathways for high-demand fields.

See also