Oregon celebrates business not leaving

Taxpayers Association of Oregon
Oregonwatchdog.com

With recent news reports of retailer Nordstrom closing its San Francisco store, many Portlanders have been wondering if their Nordstrom would be next.

Officials for the company have stated they have no plans to close their full-line Downtown Portland store.  Nordstrom has 8 stores in Oregon including their Nordstrom Rack locations.  The company plans on opening a new Rack location in Salem later this year.

With other retailers like Walmart, REI, Macy’s, J. Crew, Banana Republic and Rite Aid closing their stores in Portland, Oregonians have been wondering which other retailers might be pulling up stakes in Portland.

One thing that might help slow or stop store closures is Senate Bill 240 passed by the legislature this week. The retail theft bill addresses the massive shoplifting problem stores have been facing.   Senate Bill 340 would make it easier to prosecute organized shoplifters and allows for stiffer penalties, including a 2 year presumptive prison sentence for certain repeat offenders.   The bill now heads to Governor Kotek for her signature.

Hopefully this legislation is not too little, too late for Portland’s downtown core and other Oregon cities that are losing retailers. Lawmakers need to do much more to create a business friendly environment in Oregon. This is a step in the right direction.

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