Latest news with #JulieFahey
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oregon Legislature's last-ditch attempt for 3-cent gas tax increase fails
Oregon Department of Transportation workers fill a pothole on U.S. Highway 97 near Chemult in 2016 (Oregon Department of Transportation/Flickr) Oregon Democrats' last-ditch effort to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation by passing a 3-cent gas tax increase failed late Friday night after House Republicans refused to allow a vote. House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, introduced the last-minute amendment earlier Friday, pulling the plug on a transportation package more than a year in the making. Supporters and opponents alike described the proposed 3-cent gas tax increase and hike to vehicle registration and title fees as nothing more than a Band-Aid. But the Oregon Department of Transportation won't have even that Band-Aid to staunch the bleeding. The Legislature adjourned for the year shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, after House Republicans refused to waive House rules to allow a vote. The bill would have raised about $2 billion over the next 10 years, a far cry from the $11.7 billion lawmakers aimed to raise earlier. House Majority Leader and committee chair Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, said he was 'extremely frustrated' at what the bill became and that it is 'not a transportation package.' 'I believe that people will die because we are not going to fund the broader transportation safety measures that our system needs,' he said. 'My 'yes' vote tonight is because a 'no' vote is a vote not to pay for paving, not to pay for fault line striping, not to pay for filling potholes, not to pay for snow plowing. We have to protect these services.' Testifying on the bill just after 6 p.m. on Friday, Gov. Tina Kotek said she understood how difficult it is to accept that a bill months in the making won't succeed. But right now, she said, the most important thing is to make sure the Oregon Department of Transportation has the money it needs to avoid 600 to 700 layoffs. If the Legislature fails to pass the amendment, Kotek said she will begin to let workers go by as soon as Monday. 'No one is arguing that this solution is sufficient,' Kotek said. 'It is a Band-Aid in every sense of the word.' The bill would increase the state's 40-cent gas tax by 3 cents, hike vehicle registration fees from $43 to $64 and increase vehicle title fees from $77 to $168. The roughly $2 billion estimated to result from those increases would go to the Oregon Department of Transportation, leaving cities and counties without additional funds. The measure also includes some accountability measures, such as requiring regular audits of the transportation department and shifting responsibility to hire and fire the department's director from the Oregon Transportation Commission to the governor. Still, opponents including Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, said that wasn't enough to justify the higher costs to taxpayers, especially the rural residents she represents who must drive more than their urban counterparts. 'We can't just keep asking Oregonians — especially those who are already economically vulnerable — to pay more into a system that hasn't proven it can manage the resources it has,' Levy told the committee. Republicans issued their own proposals to raise money for roads and bridges that would not increase any taxes, but instead take and use millions of dollars meant for electric vehicle and bus programs, bike and pedestrian programs and climate programs. The death of the original transportation package, House Bill 2025, is a blow to a legislative effort months in the making. Lawmakers traveled the state last summer, seeking public input on plans to overhaul the state's transportation funding system. The latest measure eliminates proposed increases to the transit payroll tax, which would have gradually tripled from 0.1% to 0.3%. Without the payroll tax increase, officials at Portland's public transit agency TriMet said they'd have to cut 27% of their bus service, eliminating 45 of 79 bus lines. The tax increase would have cost an Oregonian making the state's median annual income about $10 per month, according to TriMet's analysis. Transit supporters and other Oregonians who waited hours for the hearing to begin lambasted lawmakers for not listening to them. Cassie Wilson, transportation policy manager for the nonprofit community planning group 1000 Friends of Oregon, said she opposed the amendment and wants lawmakers to vote on the $11.7 billion transportation tax-and-spending package instead. 'Transit keeps the 30% of Oregonians who can't or don't drive moving,' she said. Bill Bradley, executive board officer for ATU Local 757, a public transit workers union, said up to 500 members could lose their jobs in the coming year if the state does not pass a more robust funding package. Melissa Unger, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Local 503 that represents many transportation department employees, said her members supported everything advocates of the earlier bill wanted. With time running out before the Legislature must adjourn by Sunday, Unger said they needed some assurance that workers won't lose their jobs. 'We ask that you either pass this or do something so that people in the next two weeks across our state and in every county do not receive layoff notices,' she said. A proposal to mandate electric vehicle users pay a per-mile fee also didn't make the final bill. All tax increases in that bill are intended for the state transportation department, worrying cities and counties. Historically, transportation revenue has been split between the state, counties and cities, with the state taking 50%, 30% going to counties and 20% for cities. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the bill 'completely sidelines' local needs and means Oregon's largest city will lose about 60 employees. 'It jeopardizes dozens of essential city jobs and undermines our ability to perform basic safety functions like filling potholes and implementing traffic safety improvements,' Wilson said. 'In Portland, this means 300 streetlights that we won't be able to repair this year.' Benton County Commissioner Gabe Shepherd said he was one of about 20 county commissioners from around the state who waited hours to testify. 'Local governments cannot be left behind,' Shepherd said. 'We cannot be an afterthought. We cannot be a fix for later.' The long-awaited transportation package faced headwinds in recent days, as Republicans and moderate Democrats lined up against it. Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, was the only Republican to publicly support the larger measure, saying it wasn't perfect but was better than nothing, while Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, doubled down on his objection to it. 'From the correspondence I've received from around the state of Oregon and my community both in letters, emails, phone calls, social media posts, I'm doing the right thing for Oregonians,' he said on the Senate floor Friday morning. Following Kotek's Friday testimony, House Republicans welcomed the package's defeat in a press release, slamming Democrats for 'forcing families to pay one of the largest tax hikes in history.' They did not address the Kotek-backed proposed amendment. 'While our work represents a major victory for working-class, low-income, and rural communities, House Republicans will continue to listen to and fight on behalf of Oregonians against any future taxes that raise the cost of living,' said House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby. 'We welcome House Democrats to join us.' Updated at 8:44 p.m. with comments and a vote from the House Rules meeting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon lawmakers rush to finalize $11B transportation package
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Time is running out on the Oregon legislative session, and lawmakers are still working on a . With just three days to go, questions remain about what it will include and if they can finish in time. Wyden doubles down on fight to keep Trail Blazers in Portland in Rolling Stone interview On Wednesday night, a was introduced under House Speaker Julie Fahey's name. Republican lawmakers said they are not thrilled about the timing. The Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment met Thursday for a public hearing and work session to discuss the amendment — the committee elected to advance the plan with the amendment on Thursday evening. This new version cut out a lot of tax increases the original had, but it still would raise over $11 billion over 10 years. The amendment includes a bump to the gas tax. The original would raise it to 55 cents by 2028, but the new version raises it to 52 cents next year. KOIN 6 News asked what sticking points remain as the deadline approaches. 'I think it's just the size and the scope of the tax,' Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Rural Polk & Yamhill Counties) said. 'It's a massive tax, over $11 billion that they're going to pull out of Oregonians' pockets. I think that's really the issue.' 'Not working': Gov. Kotek responds to criticism over attempt to ditch Preschool for All Democrat Sen. Khanh Pham, the co-chair of the transportation committee, shared the following statement. 'Ultimately, is a compromise bill that provides some resources, at least for the next few years, to maintain our existing roads and keep our buses running at just current service levels, no extension, and just invest in safer streets in our communities.' If this bill does pass the House, it still has to go through the Senate. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon Legislature pivots to 3-cent gas tax increase instead of $11.7 billion transportation package
Oregon Department of Transportation workers fill a pothole on U.S. Highway 97 near Chemult in 2016 (Oregon Department of Transportation/Flickr) This is a developing story and will be updated Oregon Democrats appear to have pulled the plug on a transportation package more than a year in the making, unable to find the votes for a series of tax increases as the legislative session draws to an end. Instead, House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, is pushing a 3-cent increase to the state's 40-cent gas tax and increases to vehicle and title fees. An estimate for how much it would raise hasn't yet been released, but it's sure to be a far cry from the $11.7 billion lawmakers aimed to raise over 10 years in their earlier bill. Gov Tina Kotek plans to testify in favor of the new plan, her staff confirmed. It's a blow to a legislative effort months in the making. Lawmakers traveled the state last summer, seeking public input on plans to overhaul the state's transportation funding system. Fahey's 20-page amendment, attached to House Bill 3402, was scheduled for a hearing in the House Rules Committee at 3:45 p.m. and is expected to be sent to the Joint Transportation Reinvestment Committee from there. It would change a previously innocuous bill requiring the Department of Transportation to study speed bumps into a last-ditch attempt to raise some money for Oregon's crumbling roads and bridges The new bill includes accountability measures, such as requiring regular audits of the transportation department and shifting responsibility to hire and fire the department's director from the Oregon Transportation Commission to the governor. It would raise the gas tax from 40 cents to 43 cents, hike vehicle registration fees from $43 to $64 and increase vehicle title fees from $77 to $168. Gone are increases to the transit payroll tax, which would have gradually tripled from 0.1% to 0.3% under prior versions of the measure. A proposal to mandate electric vehicle users pay a per-mile fee also didn't make the final bill. Without the payroll tax increase, officials at Portland's public transit agency TriMet said they'd have to cut 27% of their bus service, eliminating 45 of 79 bus lines. The tax increase would have cost an Oregonian making the state's median annual income about $10 per month, according to TriMet's analysis. The measure aims to fill an immediate funding gap of $1 billion per year that the Oregon Department of Transportation faces. All tax increases in that bill are intended for the state transportation department, worrying cities and counties. In a statement Friday, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the bill would put Portland's street system at risk. 'It jeopardizes dozens of essential city infrastructure jobs and our ability to perform basic safety functions like filling potholes and implementing traffic safety improvements,' Wilson said. 'We can't afford a patchwork solution. Legislators, please don't leave Salem without addressing crumbling city transportation systems.' The long-awaited transportation package faced headwinds in recent days, as Republicans and moderate Democrats lined up against it. Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, was the only Republican to publicly support the larger measure, saying it wasn't perfect but was better than nothing, while Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, doubled down on his objection to it. 'From the correspondence I've received from around the state of Oregon and my community both in letters, emails, phone calls, social media posts, I'm doing the right thing for Oregonians,' he said on the Senate floor Friday morning. Reporters Alex Baumhardt and Shaanth Nanguneri contributed to this article.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Live updates: 2025 legislative session draws to a close
The Oregon House of Representatives chamber is located in the west wing of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. (Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle) After nearly six months in Salem, the Oregon Legislature must end its work by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. Before that can happen, lawmakers are set to take up a slimmed-down version of a transportation tax and spending bill and pass several dozen more bills. Capital Chronicle reporters will be at the Capitol and watching the action every step of the way. Check back here for live updates. 2 mins ago 33 mins ago 4 hours ago 2 mins ago Earlier this week Gov. Tina Kotek vetoed a bill aimed at strengthening protections for youth in foster care. The Senate quickly overrode her veto on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Oregon House voted 49-4 to table Senate Bill 875, preventing the Legislature from moving forward with a veto overturn this session. The bill would have required a court order for blocking or limiting contact among foster children and their siblings. The measure also lists out several rights for foster kids, including being assigned an attorney, maintaining access to personal belongings like toys and being given appropriate luggage to carry their belongings 33 mins ago House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, on Thursday morning removed Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, from the Joint Transportation Reinvestment Committee, the first hurdle the revamped transportation bill faces. Evans earlier this week said he wanted off the committee because it was 'no use' to serve on it when all he could do was vote on a bill he was frustrated that he didn't have a role in negotiating. He remained frustrated on Wednesday, texting 'Not thrilled. Very, very frustrated with our current leadership.' Rep. John Lively, D-Eugene, will take Evans' place ahead of a meeting scheduled for 3:30 p.m. 4 hours ago Both the House and Senate are set to head to the floor at 10 a.m. Thursday. The House has a long list of bills to vote on, while the Senate has just seven scheduled so far. At 3:30 p.m., the pared-down transportation package expected to raise $11.7 billion over the next 10 years will have its only public hearing in the Joint Transportation Reinvestment Committee. Lawmakers on the committee plan to vote on the bill at 4:30, teeing up a potential House vote Thursday evening. Read more about the transportation proposal.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans intensify opposition to capping bills per session in Oregon
From left to right, House Speaker Julie Fahey, former Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, and Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, speak in support of House Bill 2006, which would cap the number of bills a lawmaker could request be drafted for consideration in the Oregon Legislature. (Shaanth Nanguneri/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Despite bipartisan support for an Oregon bill limiting the amount of legislation a lawmaker can introduce every session, the measure has angered some prominent Republican lawmakers, who called it a partisan power grab during its first committee hearing. Three of the bill's leading supporters — Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, former Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, and House Speaker Julie Fahey — argued in front of the House Committee on Rules on Thursday that the number of bills the Legislature has had to consider in the past session has been overwhelming. They described the onslaught of reviews staff and legislative analysts must conduct to draft legislation as swamping the public with excessive bureaucracy that impedes good governance. 'Each bill takes staff time, legal review, printing, scheduling,' said Fahey, D-Eugene. 'Thousands of taxpayer dollars go into processing bills that don't become law or even get here. What we're talking about today — being more focused and deliberative in how we introduce legislation — isn't about stifling good ideas. It's about improving the system.' House Bill 2006, introduced in mid-April by six Democrats and five Republicans, would cap individual lawmakers to requesting 25 drafts during the 160-day long sessions in odd years. Lawmakers have historically limited bills in the 35-day short sessions in even years — in 2024, for instance, lawmakers could introduce two bills apiece. The number of bills lawmakers have been considering in the past years has increased steadily, particularly during odd years. This session, legislators have introduced more than 3,400 pieces of legislation since February. Republicans on the committee, however, said further limits on the legislative process would continue to shut them out of opportunities to pass legislation in the minority. The new bill revives another limitation effort that popped up after the last time the Oregon Legislature saw a record number of bills introduced — nearly 3,300 in 2001. At that time, lawmakers considered similar restrictions that eventually failed in the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans at the time. 'I routinely propose bills that are similar to other bills in the building and the only reason for that is because my district wants me to have that voice,' said House Republican leader Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby. 'And what ends up moving is the Democrat bill time and again.' Other provisions of the legislation include allowing 400 bills for state agencies and the governor to introduce, 15 bills for each legislative committee, 25 apiece for the secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, and 100 for the Judicial Department. The Joint Ways and Means Committee is excluded from the bill. The bill wouldn't preclude sponsors from introducing more than 25 pieces of legislation if, for instance, another sponsor requested the drafting from legislative counsel. Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, said the idea of bill limits 'is great,' but that the bill is 'extremely problematic.' She noted that the legislation would allow for the Senate president and speaker of the House to authorize additional measures for members or committees. Combined with the 400 measures the governor and state agencies could introduce, 'that's a problem,' she said. 'You have the majority party being able to authorize,' she said. 'There's no limit on that.' The opposition to the bill doesn't fall squarely along partisan lines, however. One Democrat has called the bill 'capricious' and warned of unintended consequences for lawmakers. 'The meager number of vehicles would more than likely accomplish the following: increased authority for the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and most policy committee chairs,' wrote Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, in a Wednesday letter to the committee. He has filed the most bills this session as a single lawmaker — over 300. 'This will exacerbate the power differential between leadership, policy, and budget specialists.' During the hearing, however, Fahey said she agreed that 400 bills for state agencies and the governor was an excessive estimate, though it was not clear how far she'd be willing to lower the limit. Another Representative, Jason Kropf, D-Bend, said that even 300 bills would be going too far. 'We use the exact same limits and language in the bill, with two exceptions, increasing the baseline number of bills from legislators to 20 to 25 and the number of committee bills from 10 to 15,' Fahey told the committee. 'This drafted bill will go into effect in the 2027 session. Back in 2001, that bill had bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition, and I fully expect that this bill will have the same.' Passing the legislation would make Oregon the 14th state in the nation to put explicit laws on the books that restrict the amount of bills a legislator can introduce. The bill would essentially make the maximum number of bills per session on an odd-year at least 2,850, if each lawmaker, committee, agency, state official and the governor introduced the maximum number of bills they are allowed under the legislation. Because the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is excluded from the legislation, that number is likely an undercount. Another piece of legislation, Senate Bill 1006 by Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, would limit introductions of bills to committees and legislators, preventing agencies from introducing legislation. It has been parked in the Senate Committee on Rules since March. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
