Oregon Republicans Sue to Block Democrats From Moving the ODOT Funding Vote to May as Fight Over Gas and Fee Hikes Escalates

Republican lawmakers have once again thrown a curveball to stall the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) funding bill, announcing that they have filed a lawsuit to overturn a majority vote made earlier this week that will move a public vote on the legislation to the May primaries.

Governor Tina Kotek Signed the Bill Immediately After it Arrived on her Desk

Governor Tina Kotek immediately signed the bill when it arrived on her desk on Monday, but several Republicans indicated that changing the referendum date was unlawful.

They filed a lawsuit in the Marion County Circuit Court against Secretary of State Tobias Read the following day. They argue that lawmakers cannot change the election date of a referendum measure after it has already been successfully placed on the ballot.

Democrats are Interfering With the Referendum Process

They also argue that Democrats are interfering with the referendum process, violating the constitutional rights of voters to approve or reject laws passed by legislators.

To a large extent, their arguments are based on political maneuvering, as Republicans believe the unpopularity of tax hikes contained in the bill could affect voter sympathies negatively for Democrats in the November ballot.

However, Democrats say that by moving the transportation funding bill to May, lawmakers will have more time devise budgetary plans for the upkeep of the state’s transportation network.

SB 1599 was originally earmarked for public vote at the November elections, after Republican lawmakers collected more than 200,000 signatures for a referendum.

Gas and Vehicle Title and Registration Fees Will Increase

The bill will increase the price of gas by 6 cents a gallon and raise the cost of vehicle title and registration fees to raise sufficient funds to enable ODOT to undertake much-needed road and bridge maintenance projects.

The governor has pointed out on more than one occasion that, without additional funding, and apart from hundreds of ODOT workers losing their jobs, Oregon’s dilapidated roads and bridges pose a safety threat to motorists unless they undergo much-needed maintenance.