The sign tells you what was going on under the canopy in the background.
On Saturday I figured the Oregon gas tax referendum drive might be gathering signatures outside the Albany City Hall, near where the farmers’ market was going on.
Turns out the “No Tax Oregon” group, backers of the referendum, did have signature sheets on hand under a canopy set up in the City Hall Plaza. When I stopped there on a bike ride, three or four people were waiting to sign.
Unless you’ve been cut off from news about state politics since August, you know what this is about. Here’s a recap anyway:
In a special session called by Governor Kotek, over Republican objections Democrats in the legislature passed a transportation funding bill on Sept. 29. Mainly, the bill raises fuel taxes and vehicle fees by roughly $4.3 billion over 10 years.
Without that funding, the governor said ODOT would have to lay off nearly 500 of its 4,700 employees and winter maintenance on Oregon highways would have to be cut back.
The bill is HB 3991, which has 48 pages and 100 separate sections, so there’s a lot of stuff in there
If it takes effect, he bill raises the state gas tax 15 percent from 40 cents to 46 cents a gallon on Dec. 31. It also raises vehicle registration and title fees and imposes a road user charge, in steps, on different types of electric vehicles. It also makes changes in taxes on heavy vehicles, and it doubles until 2029 a state payroll tax for transit programs from 0.1 to 0.2 percent.
You can fin details about the “revenue impact” in an eight-page legislative report here.
The governor delayed signing the measure for more than a month, preventing opponents from filing a referendum petition until Nov. 10.
The referendum drive is headed by three men: Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio; Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr of Dundee, and Jason Williams, head of the Oregon Taxpayers Association.
On his Facebook page, Diehl has been showing places where signature sheets are available. The group outside Albany City Hall Saturday said they’d be there again next Saturday.
The referendum petitioners have until Dec. 30 to collect at least 78,116 signatures of Oregon voters. Depending on how many they got this weekend, they have to collect roughly 1,740 per day from now until he deadline, a monumental task.
If they succeed, this tax bill will not take effect unless and until voters approve it in the general election a year from now. (hh)
thanks for the important update. We will make it a point to go and sign next Saturday.
https://notaxor.com/sign/
This is the site to find petition stations
Where to sign in Washington County?
Where in Forest Grove oregon area can you sign the petition
THANK YOU for providing this. It’s complicated to follow, but so worth it.
Where do we sign in Klamath Falls Oregon
Get out and sign this petition it will not help ODOT until the top management gets replaced by leaders that can count and create a common sence budget same people making bad decisions make the same stupid decisions they are a disgrace to the voters no new usless taxes without a WE THE PEOPLE vote.
So, Hasso, you have printed the comment that lists the site to find where people can sign this petition and, if enough signatures are obtained, as many as 4,700 people will be laid off and winter maintenance on highways will be cut back. The last things we need are more people losing their jobs and more roads being neglected. Taxes are never desirable, but we sure as hell are not going to get the money for roads and to pay employees from Trump and his ilk.
The number of jobs affected by the layoffs threatened by the governor was around 500. ODOT has about 4,700 employees.
Oops!
ODOT is so full of “administrative” type positions, most of your money never reaches the highways. They spend money on planning things that simply won’t happen because they don’t have the money.
You are right there.
They always say people will be laid off if they can’t get more money. Bullloney, budget with what you have like the constituents have to.
A table has also been set up behind Winco in the parking lot. Was going Saturday Sunday and Monday.
I have heard that Oregon is one of the highest taxed states in the U.S. It hurts when property taxes go up a lot every year. To me, this gas tax is worth it. It won’t hurt any of us badly, and contrary to what most people commenting on here are saying, this is a well-run state, and I would hate to think of it in MAGA hands. If everyone pays their fair share, nobody gets rich, and nobody gets poor. Seems to me that people want it all, but don’t want to pay for it. I’m glad we aren’t handing our money to the ultra wealthy like some states do. Being governor is a tough job, there are many people who think they could do a better job, but I am happy with our current governor. We don’t need ICE in Portland anymore than we need them in Albany. Let’s keep it that way!!
It’s not just a gas tax. It’s registration fees, title fees, mileage fees and others. Also, we already have one of the highest gas taxes in the country. If they would learn to manage their budget they wouldn’t be in this spot. The answer is always “more taxes”. Well, they’re taxing people and businesses right out of the state and out if business. ODOT could get rid of a good 2/3 of their admin and be just fine, leaving money for where it should be. And what is so wrong with letting the people VOTE on the increases? It got voted down, [the governor] got pissed and made them come back to vote again, then she sat on the “emergency” bill for 30 days just trying to make it so it couldn’t get put on the ballot. But she’s one crying “no kings”. People need to open their eyes to whats really going on. And not sure what ICE has to do with ODOT but just another ridiculous talking point to try and bring up into every conversation. Wake up!!
Twenty five years ago I was told by a ODOT employee that their priority at the time was build out Max in Portland and not cars. We have seen what 25 years has done. The highways are bumper to bumper much of the time.
We have the highest “death” taxes (probate, etc.) in the U.S. It costs the most to die here, that is.
We need a sensible sales tax that isn’t on groceries. In order for the people to approve a sales tax, the income taxes and especially the property taxes (for the ordinary people… not the rich developers who get a “get-off-free” card for 10 years) need to be cut back.
Hasso, for your readers looking for where they can sign a petition, Google NoTaxOr.com then click on the link for petition gathering locations Every county in the state is listed with dates, times and locations.