Kitzhaber Wants Retention Contract with Nike

Gov. John Kitzhaber announced this morning he will convene a special session of the Legislature on Friday, Dec. 14 (not Dec. 17 as he first announced) in order to cut a deal with Nike.

Kitzhaber said today that Nike is planning a major expansion and sought assurances Oregon would not materially change its tax structure in a way that would disadvantage Nike in the future. 

"They are looking for certainty," Kitzhaber said.

Kitzhaber told reporters that Nike approached him "a month or a month and a-half ago." Coincidentally or not, that is when Democrats regained control of the Oregon House.

Nike told Kitzhaber the company wants to expand and is being courted by other states. Before investing hundreds of millions, the sports-wear giant wants Kitzhaber's assurance that any legislative tax changes over the next five years will not change the math of their investment. Kitzhaber says such a promise would not cost taxpayers anything.

The governor is proposing an "Economic Impact Investment Act" which would enable the governor to make a "no changes" promise to companies that commit to certain investment levels, including but not limited to the creation of 500 new jobs and the investment of $150 million over a five-year period. 

Here's how Kitzahaber's office characterized what the governor wants lawmakers to agree to on Friday:

Currently Nike benefits from the way Oregon taxes big companies—on what is called the "single sales factor." That approach taxes Nike on the basis of its sales here, rather than on its capital investment or employment. Nike wants that approach to continue. 

The Oregon Center for Public Policy, a left-leaning think-tank has previously argued against the single-sales factor approach. OCPP director Chuck Sheketoff today noted that method of taxing corporations is the subject of current litigation here and in California.

"To promise Nike 'no changes' seems bizarre," Sheketoff told WW. 

But there's unlikely to be a lot of time for debate. Kitzhaber said he moved the special session up from next Monday to this Friday to meet lawmakers' schedules. 

Kitzhaber said "it's my fervent hope" the gathering will be a one-day session. 

The session will call back a Senate in which Democrats hold a 16-to-14 advantage but Democrats and Republicans share control of the House with 30 members each.

Republican co-House Speaker Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) eliminated doubt about where his caucus will be by sending out a statement about the proposed deal even before Kitzhaber did. 

Here's Hanna's statement:

WWeek 2015