Oregon Transit Funding Referendum Hits 150K Signatures

The effort, led by Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Stayton, and Chief Petitioner Jason Williams, said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the group had collected more than 150,000 signatures.

The bill increases the state's gas tax and DMV fees to fund the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and improve Oregon's roads.

"What's happened in the state of Oregon over the last 10 days has been amazing, with volunteers from every corner of the state coming together to collect signatures for this referendum petition," Starr said.

To refer the bill, petitioners must collect more than 78,000 signatures and have them verified by the Secretary of State.

Starr said they are going through their signature verification process before submitting signatures to ensure as many signatures as possible are verified.

Starr said, "Based on the number of signatures we're going to collect, there's no doubt we'll eventually qualify."

Business owners are also joining the effort.

Tim Barnes, owner of Tigard Pawn 4 More, is one of several Oregon business owners offering his business as a location for people to sign the petition.

Barnes said, "It's time to put an end to some of this. We don't just pick money out of trees in our backyards. It feels like we're being approached as if that's the reality. It's not, and it's hard to make ends meet. It's hard to plan for retirement. It's hard."

Barnes said that people who come to his business to sign the petition are adamant that they can't afford the tax increase.

Barnes said, "Week after week, it's getting harder to pay for things, and just charging more taxes isn't going to make anything better." Washington County GOP Chair Gabriel Buehler helped Barnes' business sign up as a petition-signing location.

Buehler said, "One of the things we wanted to focus on was helping small businesses. So, Tim kindly offered to host the petition here and volunteer to collect signatures, which is a huge benefit to his store, as small businesses have been overtaxed for a long time."

Buehler is one of thousands of volunteers collecting signatures across the state to send the bill to voters next year. He said people will continue collecting signatures until the December 30 deadline to show the governor how much public opposition there is.

Buehler said, "We won't stop because the people of this state know this is historic. They want to be a part of history. They want to be a part of this change for this state."

"This referral will benefit no one."

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and union leaders are opposing the referendum, warning of dire consequences if it succeeds.

Kotek said in a statement, "If the Secretary of State ultimately certifies that the petitioner has collected enough signatures, the emergency funding provided by the Legislature to keep Oregon's roads, bridges, and transit system safe and operational will be immediately suspended."

Suspending extra revenue for ODOT and Oregon roads could lead to further layoffs and maintenance station closures within ODOT.

SEIU 503, which represents ODOT workers who faced layoffs before the transportation bill was passed, said in a statement that suspending funding will make roads dangerous this winter.

The union said, "ODOT workers already face unsafe conditions, and the uncertainty facing the agency is making things worse with so many workers leaving. This referral does nothing to protect our roads or the people who keep them safe." Both Kotek and the union say those pushing for the referendum have no plan to address ODOT's funding problems.

Kotek said, "Proponents of the referral have no viable backup plan to ensure Oregonians receive basic transportation services. Please ask them to elaborate on their plan."

KATU asked the Star this same question on Wednesday. Starr said Republicans already presented their option during the legislative session earlier this year.