The Oregon special session to fund transportation has been delayed again until lawmakers convene for legislative days Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 because Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, is still unable to return to the Capitol due to health complications.
The delay was announced the night before lawmakers were scheduled to meet on Sept. 17 for what was expected to be the last day of the special session. The session has been delayed since Sept. 3.
The funding bill would increase the gas tax and other fees in addition to phasing in a road usage charge for electric vehicles and other changes. It would also help fund the Oregon Department of Transportation and stop the layoff of 483 ODOT workers.
“The stop-gap transportation bill before the Senate is important for all Oregonians who rely on our roads and the maintenance workers whose jobs are at risk. At the same time, we are not going to do anything that would put the health of our colleague at risk,” Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, said.
Gorsek had not been present for any of the special session prior to the delay and was excused.
The session, which could have concluded in one day, will now stretch a month since it began Aug. 29. Lawmakers were already scheduled to return to the Capitol Sept. 29 for committee days, when the Legislature convenes for informational hearings and to listen to reports.
Wagner said he received a letter from Gorsek’s medical team on Sep. 15, which said, in part, that it would be “medically unsafe and unwise for Sen. Gorsek to leave the hospital at this time,” a release said.
The delay indicates Senate Democrats have not been able to find a path forward with Republicans. Without Gorsek, Democrats would have only 17 votes in favor of the bill – one short of the 18 needed to pass House Bill 3991, the bill raising the state gas tax, registration and title fees and implementing a road usage charge.
Former Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, said Senate Republicans were unanimously against the bill.
Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, replaced Bonham as Senate Minority Leader on Sept. 15.
In a statement Sept. 16, Starr repeated that the caucus “remains united in rejecting this tax hike.”
He said Republicans continued to support redirecting existing funding to road maintenance and operations and criticized Gov. Tina Kotek for ignoring opposition from Oregonians.
“Senate Republicans offered a serious alternative that would have saved jobs and avoided raising taxes on already overburdened families, but Democrats dismissed it without consideration,” Starr said. “Now, we find ourselves stuck in a never-ending special session because the Governor refused to build consensus and insisted on ramming through a tax hike that working Oregonians are pleading for us to stop.”
The bill passed through the House of Representatives with the exact margins needed.
Two lawmakers, Reps. Cyrus Javadi, R-Tillamook, and Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, broke party lines. Javadi was the only Republican to vote in favor of the bill and Hartman voted against the proposal.
During the special session’s two-week pause, Javadi switched his registration to the Democratic party and Hartman announced she will not seek reelection in the legislature.
Should it pass the Senate, the funding will stop layoffs of 483 ODOT workers.
Kotek announced the layoffs after lawmakers failed to pass a transportation package during the regular session. The layoffs were initally scheduled to take effect July 31 before being delayed to Sept. 15 with the announcement of the special session.
The layoffs were pushed again to Oct. 15 along with the announcement that the session would be pushed to Sept. 17.
SEIU 503, a union representing state workers and some employees who received layoff notices, informed members of the additional delay via email. In a statement, the union wished Gorsek a full and speedy recovery and said ODOT workers are anxious. Many are leaving ODOT for other jobs, the union said.
The uncertainty is frustrating and harmful to workers, SEIU leaders and members said of the initial two week delay.
“The uncertainty of waiting in limbo while the legislature delays funding their critical work is taking a toll,” the union said Sep. 16. “Workers cannot plan for their futures, and ODOT is not prepared for winter because it cannot hire seasonal staff until the funding package is resolved.”
The union said workers need the Senate to act, noting that 29 other legislators in the Senate could come together to pass the legislation.
In the meantime, the Senate and the House will continue to meet “pro forma” every three days as is required by the Oregon Constitution.
What would Oregon House Bills 3991 and 3992 do?
The transportation package is intended to stave off ODOT layoffs and closures, fill some of the department’s vacant positions and provide new funding for cities, counties and public transit. House Bill 3991, estimated to bring in $4.3 billion over the next 10 years, includes:
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A 6-cent increase to the state gas tax for a total of 46 cents per gallon
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A $42 and $132 increase in vehicle registration and title fees
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A doubling of the 0.1% payroll tax to fund public transit until Jan. 1, 2028.
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A $30 supplemental registration fee for electric vehicles, and
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A new “road usage charge” to be phased in for electric and hybrid cars starting in 2027.
The bill also includes accountability measures, like performance audits of ODOT and shifting the power to hire and fire ODOT’s director to Kotek.
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 special session on transportation funding delayed again
