Democrats Need House, Senate Supermajorities to Approve Major Funding Hikes
A major transportation package is on thin ice in Salem and the death of Senator Aaron Woods, D-Wilsonville, made the ice thinner. Democrats have supermajorities in the Oregon House and Senate that allow them to approve tax measures without Republican votes.
Woods, 75 and a high tech executive before his election in 2022, was respected at the capital for his knowledge of technology issues and his open-minded approach to policymaking. His successor will be appointed by Washington and Clackamas County commissioners after Democratic precinct members meet May 4 to nominate potential replacements.
If Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, is nominated and appointed to replace Woods, the process would be repeated to select her successor in the House. Timing is important because the legislature only has two more months before it must adjourn.
Legislative Democrats earlier in the session unveiled their transportation funding measure to generate $1.9 billion more revenue over two years by raising the state gas tax, creating a sales tax on cars and tires and establishing a road use fee for electric vehicles. The increases would mostly go to maintain and preserve existing roads and fill a budget gap in the Department of Transportation. Republicans immediately panned the plan. There is no indication they have softened their opposition.
Actual legislative language for the funding increases will be released May 7. The Joint Transportation Committee will hold a series of hearings – May 12 (highways), May 13 (transit) and May 19 (rail, bike and pedestrian).
A special Joint Transportation Committee will be created to give lawmakers additional time to iron out details and compromises. The current plan is to produce an omnibus amendment with all changes by May 28. The Legislative Revenue Office will then generate final revenue estimates. That timing portends House and Senate floor votes in June.
Added into the mix next month will be reports from consultants on accountability measures for ODOT.
Republicans Zing Kotek on Housing
House Republicans issued a press release last week dissing progress on meeting Governor Kotek’s goal of 36,000 new housing units in Oregon every year to make up for decades of under-building.
Citing U.S. Census Bureau data, the release says Oregon only issued 1,864 residential building permits through February 2025, putting the state on pace to meet just 31 percent of Kotek’s annual target.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said Oregon is falling further behind on its chronic housing shortage as she called for a reassessment of the state’s current housing strategies.
Kotek has proposed additional funding and policy changes to encourage middle housing, which includes duplexes and other multi-unit structures that could increase density in existing neighborhoods.
Controversial Bills Up for Hearings
House committees will hold two hearings this week on Senate Bill 951 that seeks to limit the spread of corporate medical practices. SB 951 narrowly passed the Senate.
If enacted, SB 951 would prohibit management services organizations (MSOs) and certain related parties from owning or controlling shares in the management operations of professional medical entities that may affect their clinical decision-making. House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, failed to get similar legislation approved in the short 2024 session.
Senate Bill 916, which would extend unemployment benefits to striking workers, faces two House hearings this week after passing the Senate on a strictly partisan vote. If passed and signed into law, Oregon would become the first state to offer such a benefit.
Wildfire Hazard Maps Torched
Oregon senators unanimously passed Senate Bill 83, which would repeal contentious wildfire hazard maps that classified roughly 100,000 properties as high-risk and imposed stricter building codes. The measure also raised ownership costs. SB 83 also would nullify mandates such as disclosure requirements for property sales. The measure now moves to the House.
DEQ Victim of Cyber Attack
The Department of Environmental Quality fell victim last week to a ransomware attack, disrupting DEQ services and resulting in the release of more than 1.3 million files. It wasn’t known whether Oregon vehicle registration data was compromised.
Sanctuary City Ruling
A federal judge in California issued an injunction last week preventing the Trump administration from denying or imposing conditions on federal funds going to sanctuary jurisdictions. The ruling affected more than a dozen municipalities, including Portland, that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts.
A Trump executive order calls for withholding funds from sanctuary cities. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Trump officials would abide by the injunction.
Another Trump Funding Cut
The Oregonian reported the National Crime Victim Law Institute based at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland was notified last week by the Trump administration that around $500,000 in grant funding had been terminated. Part of that money would have flowed to Disability Rights Oregon.
The grants helps fund projects that provide legal services for disabled victims of crime and support young lawyers who represent disabled victims.
