Portland Small Business Owner to Sit in During State of the Union Address

By JESSICA LUTJEMEYER

Jim Houser, who's owned the Hawthorne Auto Clinic in Portland with his wife for more than 25 years, will sit in the First Lady's Box during President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night, Jan. 25.

Houser, a vocal proponent of last year's health care reform, will be the only guest representing Oregon.

The Portland small business owner says he's always provided health insurance to his employees, but has experienced difficulty in doing so the last 10 years due to increasing premiums that account for more than 20 percent of his payroll.

However, he says the Affordable Care Act, which offers tax credits to small businesses who provide health insurance for their employees, has helped his business get instant relief. Houser believes the tax credits will help him save more than $10,000.

WWeek 2015

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