Manufacturing is not as abundant as it once was in Oregon, but it accounts for 29% of the Gross State Product. Senator Jeff Merkley is part of a coalition of 21 lawmakers drafting legislation to boost the sector.
Senator Merkley visited Johnson Crushers International near Springfield, Friday, to promote the "Manufacturing Jobs for America" package. It includes two bills. One focuses on technical educational training and the other emphasizes grants to expand energy efficiency. Merkley says it's important to nurture domestic job growth.
Merkley: "Our economy has been slow to recover from the Great Recession. This is an area that we already have a fair amount of our involvement in our business sector. We are a Pacific Rim nation, we are an exporting state, so that too makes sense as we work to create export markets for our Oregon state manufacturers."
Merkley says markets value products made in America, and in Oregon. The Senator was joined by Lane County Commissioners Pat Farr and Faye Stewart.
copyright, 2013