Representative Shields carries key minority business bill to easy passage
Portland, Ore. - May 6, 2007 - State Representative Chip Shields (D-N/NE Portland) carried HB 2776-A to easy passage on the Oregon House of Representatives floor May 3. HB 2776-A extends from one year to four years the authority of disadvantaged, minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses to elect not to file a $30 thousand prevailing wage bond on public works projects. The bill also exempts all contractors and subcontractors from the bond requirement on smaller public works projects -- those worth $100 thousand or less.
"This bill is good for small business," said Shields, "It will give minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses a little more time to secure public works construction contracts before they must throw down considerable money for an insurance bond on wages."
The idea for the bill was brought to Shields by constituent Sharon Maxwell Hendricks, President of Boanerges Construction - a small minority-owned union contractor located in Northeast Portland. The bill became a priority for members of several minority Chambers of Commerce that Shields brought together to collectively develop a minority business agenda for the 2007 legislative session.
"I appreciate Rep. Shields' work on my problem," said Maxwell Hendricks, "This bill will help business owners like myself in Northeast Portland grow and return jobs and dollars to our community."
For his part, Shields acknowledged the help of his colleague Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene), a union carpenter, in moving the bill through committee with unanimous, bipartisan support.
The bill now moves to the Oregon Senate where Senators Margaret Carter (D-N/NE Portland), Jackie Winters (R-Salem) and Avel Gordly (I-Portland) have taken an interest in moving the bill forward.
###
