By Connor Roberts
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has a $350 million deficit. Governor Tina Kotek has said that if this funding is not secured, she will lay off about 500 ODOT employees.
During the regular legislative session that ended in June, Democrats (who hold a supermajority in both the House and the Senate) could not reach a consensus on a transportation funding bill (HB 2025). Sidelining and ignoring Republicans further ensured that the bill would not pass.
To deal with the budget shortfall, the Governor has called for a special session for Friday, August 29. Her goal is to raise the gas tax by six cents ($.06), increase vehicle registration fees by $42, and raise title fees by $139.
House Minority Leader Christine Drazen has proposed an alternative. Instead of raising taxes and fees on Oregon motorists, the legislature could use emergency funds from the Legislative Emergency Board. Hundreds of millions of dollars are set aside every legislative session for use in an emergency. Using emergency funds would not raise the gas tax and could fund ODOT until the 2026 session when a working solution can be found.
Oregon currently has the fourth-highest gas prices in the nation. Raising the gas tax should not be an option. Legislators should find a way to fund important transportation maintenance services without punishing Oregonians at the pump.
Connor Roberts is a Research Associate at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization.
