Oregon lawmakers just bulked up the state’s antitrust muscle, signing off on 16 new positions for the Oregon Department of Justice’s antitrust division and signaling they plan to play a much bigger role in policing corporate power.
The Emergency Board on Wednesday approved a staffing package that, once filled, would add five assistant attorneys general, four paralegals, six legal secretaries or administrative staffers, and one economist. State leaders say the expansion is designed to help Oregon dig deeper into corporate mergers and monopoly-related cases, especially as federal watchdogs scale back.
The move was first reported by KPTV, which noted the change will effectively double the number of attorneys in the antitrust unit and triple the division’s overall staffing capacity. The board approved Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s request during its Wednesday meeting, according to the station…