Transportation bill moves to House in Oregon special session

SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — Like many roads in Oregon, the special legislative session to deal with transportation funding was bumpy and rocky. But early Sunday evening, the bill to fund the Oregon Department of Transportation moved out of a Joint Committee and onto the floor of the House for consideration.

Gov. Tina Kotek is sponsoring this bill and called the special session after it failed during the regular session that ended in June. The bill calls for a 6-cents-per-gallon hike on the gas tax, a hike in titling fees, doubling registration fees and doubling the payroll tax for public transit.

But on Sunday, Democratic House Speaker Julie Fahey introduced a bill to axe the proposed transit tax increase.

Without the bill’s passage, Kotek said, ODOT will have a massive budget gap and be forced to lay off 500 people.

After the bill moved out of committee, Fahey said in a statement “the result is a bill that ensures that cities, counties, and the state will be able to perform basic maintenance and safety work on our roads—filling potholes, plowing snow in the winter, and making sure our bridges don’t fall down.”

The session adjourned for the night and the House will convene at 10 a.m. Monday. Should it clear the House, the bill would then be sent to the Senate on Monday afternoon.

GOP opposes plan

Republican leadership is against the bill, saying it relies too much on big increases in those taxes and fees and the state can use money from other areas.

When reached for comment on Saturday, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan claimed Democrats’ “incompetence” made them neglect those waiting to testify at a public hearing scheduled for Friday. She also emphasized the Republicans’ commitment to not raise taxes.

“House Republicans are committed to defeating these massive tax hikes and fee increases and have proposed multiple alternatives that prioritize road maintenance and safety, and don’t raise taxes,” Drazan said. “Our proposed amendment frees up and reprioritizes around $475 million to fill potholes, plow snow, and keep Oregonians safe.”

“Don’t mistake my support for satisfaction. I call on this body to stop lazy governing by tax hike and shutting out dissenting voices.”
— Yamhill County Commissioner Bubba King

When the public hearing began Sunday at the Joint Special Session Committee On Transportation Funding, some Republican lawmakers called out the Democratic governor for not appearing publicly to push for her bill.

“The governor’s been out there very publicly saying how important this was, how she’s been grinding away to make sure we don’t lose these jobs, that it’s okay to sacrifice our time on a Labor Day weekend to make sure that we’re here and she’s not here,” said Sen. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles).

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Kotek’s Press Secretary Roxy Mayer said, “She canceled her planned Labor Day vacation and is in the state. The Governor is closely monitoring the proceedings and has been communicating with lawmakers since the special session began.”

‘Stop lazy governing by tax hike’

The committee then heard testimony from dozens of people with strong opinions about whether the governor’s plan to raise taxes is the best way to bail out ODOT.

Some, such as Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and TriMet’s General Manager Sam Desue, supported the bill. Desue in particular noted TriMet will already have to cut $93 million in their budget and without the bill’s funding, TriMet would be at risk of cutting night service and 23 bus lines.

Steve Lambert, Roads and Parks Director for Jackson County – a portion of Oregon surrounded by mountain passes – further urged the legislature to pass the bill and “not hold local governments accountable for ODOT’s mistakes.”

A fair amount of testimony alleged mismanagement of funds on ODOT’s part, with economist Joe Cortwright noting ODOT has been “dangerously addicted to mega-projects.”

Mollala Mayor Scott Keyser also opposed the bill, stating its passage would reward ODOT for the alleged mismanagement and lead to “far reaching consequences for families and local governments.”

While acknowledging the need for better infrastructure, Yamhill County Commissioner Bubba King cautiously supported the bill, but with a few choice words.

“Don’t mistake my support for satisfaction,” he said. “I call on this body to stop lazy governing by tax hike and shutting out dissenting voices.”

Others who testified including seniors, veterans, disabled and low-income individuals who urged denying an amendment of the bill, which would cut funding for transit and they say would further isolate those in rural communities.

Further, with Oregon being one of the highest taxed states in the country, a majority of testimony from rural Oregonians focused on how more taxes would be burdensome

Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.