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Kotek Signs Oregon Transportation Funding Bill, Starting a Tight Referendum Clock

The law fills a $300 million shortfall to maintain roads, averting roughly 500 ODOT layoffs.

Overview

  • Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 3991 on Friday and announced it Monday with a Wednesday deadline approaching.
  • Republican opponents now have less than two months to collect about 78,000 signatures to refer the tax increases to voters.
  • The package raises driver costs by about $66 per year through higher registration fees and gas taxes.
  • Oregon will require efficient vehicles to pay per mile driven rather than by fuel purchased to stabilize road funding.
  • State officials say the measure preserves winter plowing, incident clearance and emergency access, with backing from cities, counties, business groups and AAA.