Oregon – Oregon lawmakers approved House Bill 3991, a $4.3 billion transportation funding package, after weeks of debate and partisan wrangling. The measure passed both chambers on a party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans united in opposition.
HB 3991, introduced during the September special session, raises revenue through a combination of tax and fee increases. According to the official engrossed bill text, the legislation increases vehicle registration fees, adjusts weight-mile taxes for trucks, raises fuel taxes, and imposes new fees on electric and hybrid vehicles to ensure they “pay their fair share for the damage their vehicles do to the roads.”
Democratic leaders argued that the bill was necessary to prevent deep cuts to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and public transit systems. Without new funding, they said, the state faced layoffs of 500 maintenance workers responsible for snowplowing, bridge upkeep, and emergency response.
“Oregon’s transportation systems are the connective tissue for every aspect of our daily lives,” said Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego). “With this legislation, we are averting an immediate transportation safety crisis and doing our part to keep Oregonians safe on the roads,” according to a press release from Senate leadership.
House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) called the measure “the foundation that keeps families connected, businesses growing, and workers on the job.”
Supporters also emphasized provisions requiring new oversight of ODOT spending and beginning a transition away from reliance on the gas tax.
Republicans blasted the measure as an unnecessary burden during what they called Oregon’s affordability crisis. In a press release, Senate Republicans said the bill represents “Governor Tina Kotek’s $4.3 billion transportation tax hike” and criticized Democrats for rejecting GOP amendments that would have given ODOT flexibility with existing funds and allowed voters to decide on the package.
“Democrats proved today they neither trust the people of Oregon nor care about the affordability crisis families are living through,” said Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr (R-Dundee). “Oregonians are already paying the price for years of Democrat control—at the gas pump, at the grocery store, in their housing costs, and more. Today, Democrats made it worse.”
The transportation package has been the subject of months of controversy. Earlier debates highlighted criticism over both the scale of the proposal and its reliance on new taxes and fees rather than restructuring existing budgets.
As Right Now Oregon previously reported, the bill faced strong pushback from business groups and rural legislators worried about higher costs. A September delay in the Senate underscored just how divided lawmakers were before Monday’s final vote, in previous reporting.
While the bill now heads to Governor Kotek’s desk for her signature, both parties signaled that the fight over how to fund Oregon’s long-term transportation needs is far from over.
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The Democrats are the ones we don’t trust. You did just what we thought you would do. Now do I eat or get tags for my car. Thats what a lot of peole will be asking, plus im pretty sure you are going to have a lot of drivers with no tags or registration. Way to go DEMS
Stop Whining.
You guys (R) having been refusing to take responsibility for our roads, bridges and infrastructure for years. It’s time to pay the piper. I believe
Salem too is as culpable. We need to PAY attention to our lives here in Oregon and what it takes to keep it livable.
I thought Oregon could not pass any additional taxes unless there was a vote of the people? Is this illegal?