Consumer rights advocates are celebrating five bills that passed the First Chamber deadline in Salem, moving closer to becoming law.

The bills are supported by the Consumer Alliance of Oregon, a coalition of 18 advocacy groups spanning housing, health care and other sectors. The bills mark the Alliance's first legislative push to protect Oregonians from predatory business practices.

Daysi Bedolla Sotelo, advocacy and policy strategist for the Oregon Health Equity Alliance, highlighted one bill which would rein in hospital facility fees and require transparent patient billing.

"Right now, you go and seek care and then you get home and get the bill and it's surprising that it could be up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in facility fees," Bedolla Sotelo explained.

Another bill would bring the state's insurance sector under Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practices Act. The change would help guarantee insurance companies, including auto, health and housing, do not deny claims unfairly. Currently, insurance is the only major Oregon industry not subject to the law.

On a federal level, House Republicans are considering reducing the funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency responsible for shielding Americans from predatory lending practices and fraud.

Ethan Livermore, economic justice organizer for the nonprofit Neighborhood Partnerships, said Oregon lawmakers need to step up and fill in the gaps.

"With so much uncertainty at the federal level, I think Oregon legislators have a really amazing opportunity to make sure that Oregonians are protected," Livermore contended.

Other bills backed by the Alliance would shield Oregonians from medical debt harming their credit scores and guarantee fair rates when buying a car.

Bedolla Sotelo emphasized since everyone is a consumer, consumer protections should be a nonpartisan issue.

"It doesn't matter where you live, you are being affected by all of these issues," Bedolla Sotelo noted. "Oftentimes, we don't think about them until it happens to us."


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Homeowners' insurance costs continue to skyrocket and few choices remain for Hoosiers who cannot afford a premium increase or receive a coverage denial.

A new study showed the average home insurance premium in Indiana rose by 16% between 2021 and 2024. Statewide, one of every 54 policies was cancelled in 2022 because homeowners fell behind on their payments.

Amy Nelson, executive director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, said the report's numbers are not entirely complete.

"The increase in insurance rates that we point out in the report, we actually believe are under-reported, because there's very little data that is available out there," Nelson explained. "We believe prices have been increasing at a much higher rate in more recent years, but the data has not (been) available to reflect that."

One of the biggest takeaways from the report, Nelson pointed out, is the "secrecy" of the insurance industry, which makes it challenging for homeowners and renters to get information. If you get a drop in coverage, or your price goes up considerably, she noted, there is not much a consumer can do about it.

One complaint in the study titled "The State of Fair Housing Report - The Insurance Crisis Hits Home," was about a substantial price increase based on wildfire and hurricane damage in other states.

Nelson stressed despite Indiana's low numbers of such disasters, Hoosiers can nonetheless expect high insurance prices, a guideline she feels needs further discussion. If a homeowner's mortgage amount is unchanged but insurance costs go up, Nelson emphasized the trend could force consumers to either discontinue coverage or avoid mortgage payments.

"This might drive people into foreclosures and that then will be the loss of generational wealth," Nelson underscored. "We hadn't done a report on insurance before. We wanted to do that because we have concerns with escalating foreclosure rates also happening here in Indiana. First quarter 2025, Indiana was fourth highest in the country for foreclosure filing rates."

People of color and older adults -- those without mortgages -- are more likely to go without homeowners' insurance due to fixed budgets, which places them at higher risk, Nelson added. Indiana and 34 other states have the FAIR Plan insurance, a last resort option for people who cannot get private insurance.


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Florida Power & Light's request for a nearly $9 billion rate hike, possibly the largest in state history, has sparked concern about the potential burden on people already struggling with high energy costs.

The Florida Public Service Commission is reviewing the proposal, which the utility said is needed for grid resilience, population growth and storm recovery. If approved, the hike would raise the average residential bill by at least $200 a year by 2027, in addition to a $150 "storm recovery fee" already on bills this year.

Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, climate justice program manager for the advocacy group Catalyst Miami, warned the effects on low-income households could be devastating.

"Energy burden is the percentage of income that's spent on home energy bills and also is considered 'energy burdened' if it's at 6%," Schubert-Fontes explained. "So, 12% is way above that threshold and folks are spending a large portion of their income just to keep the lights on every month."

Florida Power & Light, which serves about 12 million people, has said the increase is necessary to continue providing reliable service as Florida grows. In 2024, it reported more than $4.5 billion in earnings, while its parent company NextEra Energy posted nearly $7 billion in profit.

Schubert-Fontes argued customers are already being squeezed and pointed out the proposal includes a return on equity far exceeding industry norms.

"Part of FPL's proposal is that there's an 11.9% return on equity, which is far higher than the industry standard, which sits around, like, 9%," Schubert-Fontes noted. "This is money that goes directly into the pockets of shareholders."

The Public Service Commission has completed a series of in-person hearings. Local groups urged regulators to prioritize consumers, particularly vulnerable households and fixed-income seniors. A final decision is expected later this year.


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Optimism is falling and pessimism is rising among businesses getting a read on the U.S. economy, according to a new national survey.

The findings are from the Center for Audit Quality, which gathered feedback from the nation's leading public company audit firms. The firms serve clients in a wide range of industries, from retail to mining. The spring survey showed pessimism about the U.S. economy surged to 44%, compared to just 10% last fall. Meanwhile, optimism fell to 15%.

Julie Bell Lindsay, CEO of the center, said there are a handful of key factors behind the sentiments.

"Concern about a recession, ongoing geopolitical instability, and tariff uncertainty," Lindsay outlined. "Those are the top three areas where audit partners are seeing companies concerned over the next 12 months."

The Trump administration said it remains undeterred in applying broad-based tariffs in pursuit of fair trade. Financial analysts said the approach creates less predictability for businesses with the potential for layoffs, adding some of the tariff polices have resulted in legal setbacks. White House officials hope tariffs lead to more domestic manufacturing but experts cautioned it could take years.

Among respondents, 54% said companies in their sectors are reducing employee headcounts in the current economic landscape but nearly half also are making an effort to boost the skills of existing staff. Lindsay added artificial intelligence has major appeal right now.

"The companies in the industries that they audit are mainly pursuing the use of AI to enhance customer experiences, services and support, as well as automate some work processes," Lindsay explained.

Despite the Trump administration's interest in cryptocurrency, survey results show American companies feel the situation is not right yet to jump into those markets. Of those surveyed, 96% said their clients are not having talks right now about such investments.


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