Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission

by Joy Spencer Cassandra SkinnerLopata has been named Chair of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s board of commissioners. She was recently appointed by Gov. John Kitzhaber on July 5. SkinnerLopata has been a member of the OLCC’s board of commissioners since June 2009, representing the 4th Congressional District. Chair SkinnerLopata has brought a tremendous amount of insight to the Commission from her rich background in public health and law. Her experience with children and families brings an important perspective to the board. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and is currently General Counsel and Medicaid Program Director for Agate Healthcare, the parent company of Lipa (Lane Individual Practice Association) and Trillium Community Health Plan, all located in Eugene. She has held positions on the Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence, the Lane County Human Rights Advisory Committee, and the board of directors for Breaking Free, a non-profit organi...

by Christie Scott Early in the morning on June 9, planning and preparedness prevailed at the Oregon Liquor Control Commission - which prevented what could have been a costly mishap for the citizens of Oregon. Approximately 9:00 a.m. that day, a power line and pole were downed by a contractor working on site at the OLCC headquarters office in Milwaukie. The six-hour power outage affected the entire OLCC building including the warehouse that holds the state’s distilled spirits. Thanks to a contingency plan that involved several divisions within the agency, the OLCC was able to fulfill all of the orders placed by Liquor Store agents with no loss of revenue to the state. The precautions included limited back-up power supply and Information Technology strategy that allowed access to email and the ability for liquor store agents to place orders to the distribution center in such an event. Retail services staff worked one-on-one with liquor store agents to ensure that their orders ...

by Joy Spencer Michael E. Harper, Sr. has been appointed to the OLCC’s board of commissioners. Harper was nominated by Gov. John Kitzhaber and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Harper brings a rich background in public speaking and a passion for teamwork and collaboration to the OLCC. Harper is a graduate of North Park University in Chicago, IL and is currently an agent with State Farm Insurance. Prior to joining State Farm in 1991, Harper was forward-center for the Portland Trail Blazers NBA basketball team, and later served as the team’s Speakers Bureau Director. Harper’s also coached youth basketball for Riverdale High School, Fairview High School and Valley Catholic School. Active in the community, Harper’s public service experience includes member of the SW Portland Rotary, Western Oregon University Foundation board member, Prince Hall Mason F & A.M. Deputy Grand Master, served on the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery board and the State of Oregon Commission on Children and Fa...

by Joy Spencer Prom and graduation are two of the biggest memory-making events in a teenager’s life. These days, it’s not just the students who get excited about the planning and celebrating. Many parents take part in every aspect, from picking out the fabulous attire to extending curfew on these special evenings. It’s also a time when parents should ask themselves, “What can I do to make sure my teen stays safe and makes smart decisions?” These are good questions, considering that for some teens, these events bring increased pressure to break the rules, like drinking alcohol. The good news is that parents should not feel helpless. In fact, they should feel encouraged. When it comes to underage drinking, studies show that parents have a lot more power over the decisions their teens make than they may realize. According to the Roper Youth Report, 74% of teens ages 13 to 17 say their parents are the number one influence on their decisions about whether they drink alcohol, and that f...

by Joy Spencer National Alcohol Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about alcohol abuse and encourage people to make healthy, safe choices. During this month, the OLCC encourages you take time to educate yourself and your loved ones about the dangers of alcohol abuse. According to ECONorthwest & Oregon Health Authority, each year alcohol abuse in Oregon leads to 1,400 alcohol-related deaths, 5,100 violent crimes, and 41,000 offenses related to driving under the influence. What are some things that you can do this month? Check in with yourself about your drinking habits. Today is National Alcohol Screening day, which is an important part of Alcohol Awareness month. This day is intended to help people who may not know how much is too much to drink or if the amount that they drink is putting them at risk for injury, illness and addiction. Take the screening online or locate an event near year you. Talk to your kids. Getting the word across to your kids ab...

by Joy Spencer Drinking alcohol while you are on duty is not allowed. So, if you mix, sell or serve alcoholic drinks, check ID, control conduct at a business, or manage/supervise anybody who does - you can’t drink alcohol or be under the influence of intoxicants while on duty. What does “on duty” mean? On duty means from the beginning of a work shift to the end of the shift, including all breaks. And, if you or your employee performs the duties of a server or a manager after the end of your shift, you are still considered to be on duty. No drinking on duty means just that – no drinking alcohol at work – not even a sip. For the complete rule, go to Oregon Administrative Rule 845-006-0345 .

by Christie Scott   In a nutshell – no. When people buy and return cans and bottles in Oregon , customers are just getting back the deposit that they paid when they originally bought the drink. If the containers were originally purchased in another state, then no Oregon deposit was paid on the container. Therefore, those cans and bottles would not be eligible for an OREGON refund. Oregon stores and manufacturers can legally refuse to pay the 5-cent refund value if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the containers were sold at a retailer outside of Oregon . More information on Oregon ’s Bottle Bill can be found at http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/docs/bottle_bill/bottle_bill_faqs.pd