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by Sara Odendahl, Director of Government Affairs, Bend Chamber Throughout the 2025 session, we are sharing highlights on key issues and Chamber priorities from Salem. This week, we’re focusing on issues to support our recreation and outdoor industry.   The 2025 session is nearly a month into the 160-day term, and to date, over 3,000 bills have been introduced.  We are quickly approaching the first deadline wherein bills must be scheduled for a public hearing or be lost for the session. That deadline will cull a substantial number of bills and focus the Legislature on key issues that have traction to advance.   This session, the Chamber is tracking over 150  bills in a variety of issue areas, from economic development and tax reform to childcare and housing issues. In short, there is a lot under discussion in Salem. Earlier this week, the Chamber was in Salem to testify on a priority bill that supports our recreation and outdoor industries – HB 3140.   In 2014, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that businesses may be sued for negligence even when someone engaging in sports or recreation has signed a waiver. Since then, additional lawsuits have been filed against recreational operators in situations where someone has signed a waiver and has then been injured while engaging in sports and recreation. House Bill 3140 enables the use of liability waivers for claims of ordinary negligence relating to sports, fitness, or recreational activity.   The Bend Chamber supports this bill as part of a large coalition, Protect Oregon Recreation. The recreation industry is a critical sector of our economy in Central Oregon, as the region supports numerous large companies in addition to serving as an incubator for start-ups and local small businesses. The impacts are far reaching, as local recreation enthusiasts and visitors spent more than $380 million in Bend alone in 20231. This spending supported 3,470 full- and part-time jobs, making it one of our community’s most vibrant industry sectors. However, the current liability climate makes it extremely difficult to ensure businesses operate in this space, and the Bend Chamber supports its passage.  The bill is currently pending a work session and future debate in Committee and on the floor of the House. For more information about HB 3140 and to share your story or join the coalition, please visit the Protect Oregon Recreation website. To view the Chamber’s full letter of support, please click here.  

Question: I’m having trouble hiring staff because they can’t find child care.What are some key considerations for businesses in Oregon that might help? A: Thanks for this question. We are hearing this as a consistent story across the state and nation, that child care is impacting the economic stability of American households and businesses. 1. An employer can take a leadership role in understanding their employee’s needs and provide a solution. Recent economic surveys show that employers that offer a child care benefit package as part of employment experience stronger recruitment, lower turnover, enhanced productivity and improved attendance. 2. A toolkit from Child Care Works for Oregon, childcareworksfororegon.org/for-employers, supports businesses and organizations in understanding the complexity of how child care is impacting their bottom line. Discover a range of approaches to support working parents and identify which will meet the needs of your employees. By identifying the specific challenges employees are facing, employers can develop effective strategies for long-term solutions. Tools available through this resource include: Absenteeism Calculator Turnover Calculator Cost/Benefit Analysis Tool Employee Survey Tool 3. NeighborImpact Child Care Resources also has resources for businesses, available at neighborimpact.org/employer-supported-child-care, including how employers can help subsidize child care costs. Local organizations like NeighborImpact, together with partners like Central Oregon Community College’s Early Child Care Business Accelerator Program, have recently generated over 800 new slots in Central Oregon. The Early Child Care Business Accelerator Program is part of COCC’s Small Business Development Center, which offers free, confidential professional business advising and a variety of low-cost courses to help entrepreneurs through the business lifecycle: cocc.edu/sbdc. About the Expert Kathryn Brown is the Early Child Care Program manager at COCC’s Small Business Development Center. Brown was named a “40 under 40 Trailblazer” by America’s Small Business Development Center Network in 2023.

Washington, D.C.— NAB Show, the premier global event for the media and entertainment industry, is thrilled to announce the debut of its Business of Entertainment track, developed in partnership with The Ankler, a leading and influential voice covering the entertainment industry today with news, insightful commentary and analysis. Held during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, 2025 (Exhibits April 6-9) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, this initiative will feature a compelling lineup of programming, leading brands and a special appearance by WWE president Nick Khan and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt today opened The Media Institute’s 2025 Communications Forum series with a speech highlighting the urgent need to modernize the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) outdated broadcast ownership rules.

A bipartisan coalition of 114 members of the House of Representatives introduced the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) today, a resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge" on local radio stations.