The 2025 legislative session has come to an finish and lawmakers have did not move any transportation laws.
After years of labor, a statewide listening tour, dozens of committee conferences and public hearings, Democrats who led the method did not deliver a invoice over the end line. It’s an enormous political defeat of historic proportions that comes with penalties prone to be felt in each nook of the state.
After the primary transportation invoice died, a final ditch effort to move a plan-B invoice, Home Invoice 3402-3 (the “-3” refers back to the modification that was adopted by committee) was slated for a vote on the Home flooring late Friday evening, however Democrats wanted assist from Republicans to clear time-sensitive procedural hurdles they usually didn’t get it.
Democrats — regardless of having a supermajority within the Home, Senate and holding the Governor’s workplace — have been unable to maintain all their Senators in line and finally misplaced the sport to the minority celebration.
Home Invoice 2025-28; an $11.6 billion package deal that may have saved transit programs, given the Oregon Division of Transportation a lift to upkeep and operations, funded freeway enlargement megaprojects, and invested in main security tasks, died earlier within the day on Friday as a result of Democratic Senator Mark Meek wouldn’t vote for it. Meek had shared frustration in regards to the rushed timeline of the invoice for weeks and — whereas he was open to some tax will increase — wasn’t snug with the dimensions of the invoice. Earlier than the ultimate committee vote he shared disinformation on social media, telling his followers that the invoice included tolling when actually that’s blatantly false.
The invoice handed committee 8-4 and there have been smiles because it had some bipartisan momentum (due to a “sure” vote from Republican Home Rep. Kevin Mannix) heading to the Home flooring. It was seemingly going to move the Home, nevertheless it was the Senate that doomed Democrats.
Democrats maintain 18 of the 30 seats within the Senate they usually wanted each a kind of votes to carry onto the three-fifths majority required to move a tax invoice. Senator Meek, a Democrat, remained a really cussed “no” and Senate President Rob Wagner failed to influence a single Republican to take Meek’s place within the “aye” column.
With HB 2025-28 useless, lawmakers scrambled to fill a placeholder invoice, HB 3402-3, with naked bones laws that may be an interim measure to maintain ODOT afloat and forestall huge layoffs on the company. The invoice was heard within the Home Guidelines Committee Friday night the place lawmakers heard huge, numerous, almost unanimous opposition — from metropolis and county leaders, unions, advocacy teams, and particular person Oregonians.
The one two voices in help of the invoice got here from Governor Tina Kotek — who mentioned in her committee testimony she would lay off 600-700 ODOT staff on Monday morning if the invoice didn’t move (about 14% of their whole workforce) — and from ODOT management, who mentioned it was very important to maintain the lights on and carry out a primary degree of service till extra money could possibly be discovered.
“I do know it’s disappointing once you get thus far in session and such an enormous invoice with a lot work will not be going to maneuver ahead,” Kotek mentioned in her testimony. “The trail ahead at the moment is to make sure that ODOT-provided important companies proceed… It is going to remedy an instantaneous want, nevertheless it’s not going to unravel all our issues… However nonetheless, we’ve got to maneuver ahead.”
HB 3402-3 would have raised round $2 billion over 10 years (lower than half the quantity of the 2017 transportation invoice and $10 billion lower than HB 2025) through a three-cent fuel tax improve and will increase to automobile title and registration charges. Past this comparatively tiny income bump, opposition to the invoice was fierce as a result of the invoice stipulated that every one new income would go to ODOT. That provision was an enormous slap within the face to counties and cities who’ve historically obtained 30% and 20% of State Freeway Fund income respectively (with ODOT protecting 50%).
HB 3402-3 had no funding for transit, and no funding for key packages Oregonians are clamoring for just like the Nice Streets program, Protected Routes to Faculty, Group Paths, and so forth. It additionally had no set-aside funding for key freeway enlargement megaprojects that many lawmakers voted for in 2017 just like the I-5 Rose Quarter, I-205 widening, and Abernethy Bridge widening.
Regardless of this opposition, HB 3402-3 handed the Guidelines Committee 4-3 on a party-line vote.
It headed to the Home flooring and was within the queue for a vote late final evening, however time ran out as a result of Republicans refused to assist the Democrats droop some procedural guidelines to get it over the end line. (For a superb breakdown of how this course of performed out, examine this Bluesky thread from Oregon Capitol Chronicle reporter Julia Shumway.)
With nothing to point out for years of labor and negotiations, it stays to be seen what the fallout might be from this immense debacle. Governor Kotek threatened to layoff 600-700 ODOT staff on Monday morning. That will be a catastrophic blow to these households, to the company and to Oregonians who depend on the state to maintain the transportation system in fine condition. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, representing a Metropolis of Portland finances that was relying on $11 million from the transportation invoice, mentioned he can be pressured to put off as much as 60 Portland Bureau of Transportation staffers.
Republicans and their allies within the on-line punditry ecosystem are gleeful to see these payments die. The Home Republican Caucus launched a press release saying the tax will increase would have, “funded a progressive left agenda that may hurt Oregonians.” “Forcing households to pay one of many largest tax hikes in historical past after they can barely get by was a merciless coverage from the beginning,” added Home Republican Chief Christine Drazan.
From right here, I’m undecided what the chances are of lawmakers saving transportation funding in an interim or emergency session. In the event that they do make an try, Democrats might want to to get their very own celebration totally in line. One factor made clear Friday is that Republicans would somewhat see ODOT burn to the bottom than give them any new funding.
Whereas some lawmakers map out subsequent steps (and others sit again and begin trip), advocates and metropolis leaders now discover themselves in a distressing second of uncertainty. Transit advocates and company leaders could be those feeling most overlooked within the chilly. With out a rise in transportation funding, TriMet has mentioned they’d minimize 27% of transit service — which could possibly be as much as 45 of their 79 bus traces — beginning in 2027.
There’s much more I wish to share about all this, however that’s the fundamentals of what occurred yesterday and the place we stand this morning. Keep tuned for extra protection.
