Reason for Reform campaign begins Wednesday with a Day of Action, including events in 50 states and DC . New report shows that immigrants make key contributions to Oregon and the nation.
On Wednesday, August 3, a coalition of business and community leaders from across Oregon will come together to launch the Reason for Reform campaign. The event, hosted by the Partnership for a New American Economy (NAE) and Oregon Association of Nurseries, will highlight the need for immigration reform and present new Oregon-specific data on the contributions of immigrants.
The Reason for Reform campaign brings together state business, civic and cultural leaders to urge Congress to take action on immigration reform. Portland’s Day of Action event coincides with the release of a new study, including data on the foreign-born population in Oregon, their tax contributions, their spending power, and their role in Oregon’s key industries as leaders and job creators.
The Contributions of New Americans in Oregon shows that immigrants make up 10 percent of the state’s population and contributed $2.4 billion in taxes, or 10 percent of the total in 2014. In that same year, immigrants earned $9.9 billion, or over 9 percent of all earnings in the state.
Immigrants in Oregon contribute to key industries, such as crop production, fruit and vegetable preserving, animal production, and manufacturing. They make up 11 percent of all entrepreneurs in the state, and play a large role in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, which are a major component of U.S. economic growth. These and other key statistics on immigrants in Oregon will be released in the NAE study on August 3.
The Reason for Reform campaign will kick off with the release of 51 new reports (one for every state plus Washington, DC) and events in all 50 states urging Members of Congress to take action to enact reform.
WHO:
Rep. Tina Kotek, Oregon House Speaker (D – N/NE Portland)
Rep. John Davis, Oregon House Assistant Republican Leader (R – Wilsonville)
Sen. Michael Dembrow, Oregon Senate Assistant Democratic Leader (D – Portland)
Andrea Williams, Executive Director, CAUSA
Ryan Deckert, President, Oregon Business Association
Leigh Geschwill — F & B Farms & Nursery
Jeff Stone, Executive Director, Oregon Association of Nurseries (moderator)
WHAT:
Reason for Reform Oregon Day of Action
WHEN:
August 3, 2016 at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Pacific
WHERE:
The Portland Business Alliance
200 SW Market St #150, Portland, OR 97201
(Building Conference Room–on the left in the lobby)
About the Partnership for a New American Economy
The Partnership for a New American Economy brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today. The Partnership’s members include mayors of more than 35 million people nationwide and business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more than 4 million people across all sectors of the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media to Manufacturing. Partnership members understand that immigration is essential to maintaining the productive, diverse and flexible workforce that America needs to ensure prosperity over the coming generations. Learn more atwww.RenewOurEconomy.org.
Curt Kipp
Oregon Association of Nurseries
503-582-2008 (direct)
971-409-8196 (cell)
ckipp@oan.org
