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Tag: Oregon Legislature

  • Legislative Committee To Hear From Oregonians On Budget Cuts – KXL

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    Oregon’s State Senate opens the 2026 Legislative session with a flag presentation. Feb. 2, 2026

    Salem, Ore. – Oregon lawmakers opened the February session Monday. They now have about a month to balance the budget. Unlike the federal government, the state is not allowed to operate at a deficit, according to the Oregon Constitution.

    Governor Tina Kotek blames a sudden $900 million budget gap on the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. “Things are obviously more complicated this time with what has happened with HR1 from Congress. It has affected the revenue that can be used for essential services here in the state,” says Kotek, “We are also being forced to spend money because of HR1 for programs that have been very important for Oregonians, in terms of food assistance and Medicaid. So, we have less money, we’re being asked to spend more on things directed by the federal government, and the budget is out of balance.”

    State Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) says the Joint Ways and Means Committee is tasked with making cuts. “For the last several months – and credit to the co-chairs [of the Committee], since I was getting text messages and phone calls the week of Thanksgiving – they have really tried to anticipate what we’re seeing. And we’ll know a lot more when we get the revenue forecast.” That forecast is due Wednesday.

    Wagner says it’s not a simple task, “Trying to figure out how we’re working with state agencies, and getting good ideas on where we need to be selective in order to balance the budget for the remainder of the biennium.”

    State agencies submitted their own budget reduction lists in November. The Joint Ways and Means Committee will now take feedback from Oregonians. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday (Feb. 3) from 5 – 8 p.m. at the State Capitol, in Hearing Room 40.  The public can attend in-person or tune in virtually through the Oregon Legislative Information System. You must register in advance to speak, through the committee’s webpage on OLIS. Written testimony will be accepted for up to 48 hours following the hearing.

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Live updates: Day 3 of the Oregon special session on transportation funding

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    The Oregon Legislature plans to meet for the third day of a special session on transportation funding on Labor Day, with the House of Representatives convening at 10 a.m. for third reading and debate on the package of bills sponsored by Gov. Tina Kotek.

    The Senate is scheduled to begin considering the measures at 2 p.m. on Sept. 1.

    Follow along as legislative reporter Dianne Lugo, state government reporter Anastasia Mason and photographer Abigail Dollins cover the special session on Labor Day.

    How we got here

    The 2025 Legislature adjourned on June 27 without passing a transportation bill, leaving the Oregon Department of Transportation short about $300 million to maintain service levels for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1.

    Kotek announced layoffs of 483 ODOT workers and the closure of a dozen maintenance stations across the state. The layoffs and closures were later put on hold, pending the outcome of the special session.

    Two last-minute amendments from House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, were adopted Aug. 31 by the Joint Special Session Committee on Transportation Funding after the second public hearing on the bills.

    One of Fahey’s amendments would eliminate a 0.1% increase to the payroll tax in House Bill 3991 after Jan. 1, 2028.

    The other amendment gives the Department of Administrative Services the ability to lower tax rates, but not to raise them, if the rates paid by heavy and light vehicles reach a certain imbalance.

    “Getting here has been a long road, but 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,” Fahey said after the House committee adjourned.

    What Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation funding bills would do

    The governor’s amended transportation package is estimated to raise $4.3 billion over the next 10 years. Her bills include:

    • A 6-cent increase to the state gas tax for a total of 46 cents per gallon

    • A $42 and $132 increase in vehicle registration and title fees

    • A doubling of the 0.1% payroll tax to fund public transit until Jan. 1, 2028.

    • A $30 supplemental registration fee for electric vehicles, and

    • A new “road usage charge” to be phased in for electric and hybrid cars starting in 2027.

    House Bill 3991 also would repeal mandatory tolling language from the existing statute, which Kotek paused in 2024, and transfer power to the governor to appoint and fire the director of the ODOT. The last major transportation bill, passed in 2017, gave the power to hire and fire the head of ODOT to the Oregon Transportation Commission.

    Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at acmason@statesmanjournal.com or 971-208-5615.

    Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo or Bluesky @diannelugo.bsky.social

    This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Legislature meets in special session Labor Day weekend

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