On Thursday(April 6, 2023), the state legislature of Oregon gave the governor the authority to extend urban development limits to allow chipmakers to establish facilities. This was done to lure semiconductor firms to the state of Oregon.
Legislators who support the measure have said it is necessary to make Oregon more competitive compared to other states to attract more of the multibillion-dollar semiconductor sector.
In addition, the law will pay chipmakers around $200 million in incentives. Some legislators said that the legislation is an assault on the nation’s first statewide policy, established a half-century ago and designed to restrict urban development and conserve farmland and woods. They said that this policy controls urban sprawl and protects farmland and forests.
“These regulations have resulted in 50 years of success protecting our farm and forest lands, containing urban sprawl, and protecting natural resources,” said Rep. Anna Scharf, a Republican. “Senate Bill 4 throws that out the window.”
The most recent reports from Oregon State, with all the essential information-
- Oregon Lawmakers Pass a Historic Chipmaker Incentive.
- How Oregon Supports Child Care for Construction Workers?
The bill, which was passed by the state Senate a week ago and by the House on Thursday by a vote of 44-10, gives Governor Tina Kotek the authority to designate up to a maximum of eight sites for the expansion of the urban growth boundary, including two places that are larger than 500 acres (202 hectares), as well as six smaller areas.
“There is some extremely valuable farmland in the area that produces Oregonians’ food and provides those families and those employees jobs,” Scharf said. “Farmland, once paved over, can never be reclaimed.”
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