Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017 Sing loud, sing proud Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The Oregon Army National Guard’s traditional military concert band performed a free concert sponsored by The Daily Astorian Friday night at the Liberty Theater. Transportation package survives in committee Pamplin Media Group More than half of House Democrats have signed a let- ter that seems to threaten passage of a transportation measure unless the Legislature raises more money for services. House Democrats renew call for more state tax revenue By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — Sixteen state House Democrats appeared Saturday to threaten a major transportation package with a renewed call for tax reform addressed to the House speaker. A group of 16 of 35 House Democrats have writ- ten a letter to House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, say- ing that while they supported the “well-crafted transporta- tion package,” “the package alone is not enough.” “In the final days of the 2017 session, we believe that the Legislature must focus on the all-important task of identifying additional reve- nue to support education and other essential state services, ensure government transpar- ency and reduce waste so we can protect critical ser- vices that the most vulnera- ble Oregonians can rely on,” the group wrote. A legislative committee had advanced the $5.3 billion transportation package, the result of a significant effort to come to agreement between Democrats and Republi- cans, mere hours earlier. It’s expected to go to the floor of the House. Since the beginning of the session in February, Demo- crats had been advocating for structural revenue reform, aiming to shift the basis of business taxes from income to sales in search of what many argued would be more, and more consistent, revenue in future budgets. But after months of debate that followed a divisive bal- lot measure campaign, the issue had appeared to come to a stalemate. Although a last-ditch effort to drum up nearly $200 million in addi- tional revenue by restruc- turing a tax break for small business-owners passed the House, it appears unlikely to make it to the Senate for a vote. Kotek said in a state- ment late Saturday regard- ing the letter: “At this point, I’m not sure what this will mean for the final vote on transportation.” The transportation pack- age raises $5.3 billion over ten years through increases in the gas tax, registration fees and a new tax on pay- roll, new vehicles and bicy- cles priced more than $200. Because it raises new reve- nue, it requires a three-fifths majority vote in both the House and Senate. Union groups had sug- gested earlier in the session that they would withdraw support for a transportation package without revenue reform. The letter was signed by representatives Karin Power, of Milwaukie; Julie Fahey, of Eugene; Rob Nosse, of Port- land; Pam Marsh, of Ash- land; Diego Hernandez, of Portland; Chris Gorsek, of Troutdale; Sheri Malstrom, of Beaverton; Janelle Bynum, of Happy Valley; Tawna San- chez, of Portland; Mark Meek, of Clackamas County; Carla Piluso, of Gresham; Ken Helm, of Washington County; Teresa Alonso Leon, of Woodburn; Janeen Soll- man, of Hillsboro; Mitch Greenlick, of Portland; and Brad Witt, of Clatskanie. Compromise $5.3 billion plan advances By DANA HAYNES Capital Bureau SALEM — State Rep. Caddy McKeown, co-chair- woman of the joint transporta- tion committee, summed up 18 months of work, and a bill of steep compromises, with this: “We aimed for the sun and landed on the moon.” The Joint Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization on Satur- day passed the state’s trans- portation bill on a 12-2 vote, sending House Bill 2017 to the House floor. It’s expected to pass there, head to the Sen- ate for a successful run, before going to the Governor’s Office. All this, within days of the end of a long and contentious session. The bill raises $5.3 billion over a 10-year period through increases in the gas tax, reg- istration fees and new taxes on payroll, new vehicle pur- chases and bicycles priced more than $200. However, the new plan excludes several conges- tion-busting projects in the Portland area that would have been funded through a state-lo- cal match, including projects to widen Interstate 205 from Stafford Road to Oregon City and to replace the Abernathy Bridge on I-205 between Ore- gon City and West Linn. The original bill also would have raised the gas tax even more in the Portland area to raise funds for the metro con- gestion projects. Instead, the proposal directs the Oregon Transportation Commission to establish a toll- ing program on I-205 and I-5. The program would be used to fund projects on Interstate 205 and Interstate 5 from the Wash- ington state line to where the two interstates cross south of Portland. The bill survived a stress- ful four-hour meeting on a rare Saturday session, with Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose getting into heated disputes in the corridor at least twice. Rep. Richard Vial of Scholls — not a member of the com- mittee but a longtime advo- cate for transportation funding on the county level — praised the bill. “As painful as it is, the pro- Freshman lawmaker seeks inquiry into rumor in any ranking of lobby- ists based on physical attri- butes,” Hernandez said in a statement posted to his Face- SALEM — In response to book page Saturday evening. “In my entire time as a rumors that he created legislator, I have never an attractiveness rank- talked to or about a ing of female lobby- female lobbyist, legis- ists, a freshman law- lator, legislative staff, maker says he has or other individual in a requested an inquiry. way that could be char- State Rep. Diego acterized as demean- Hernandez, D-Port- Diego land, denied the alle- Hernandez ing, disrespectful, or inappropriate.” gations Saturday. Legislative employee ser- “Let me be as perfectly clear as I can be: I categori- vices and legislative counsel cally and emphatically state are conducting a fact-finding that I have never engaged inquiry into the rumors. By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 cess works,” he said. Legislative leaders and Gov. Kate Brown negotiated an agreement between Democrats and Republicans to trim the size of the package and to place a cost cap on the state’s low-car- bon fuels standard. Republican opposition to the fuels standard is what scotched another trans- portation deal in 2016. This year’s deal was intended to win enough GOP votes to reach the constitution- ally required three-fifths major- ity in each chamber for raising taxes. The deal includes: • Reducing the gas tax increase and an excise tax on the sale of new vehicles, from 1 percent to 0.5 percent. About $12 million of the revenue from the proceeds of the vehi- cle excise tax would be used for rebates on the purchase of elec- tric vehicles. • A $15 flat fee would be charged on the purchase of new adult bicycles with a price tag of more than $200. The pro- ceeds would go toward pay- ing for commuter bicycle and pedestrian paths. • A 4-cent gas tax increase that would be triggered in 2018, with subsequent 2-cent hikes every other year. • A payroll tax of less than 0.1 percent, to raise money to fund public transit. A sticking point in negotia- tions was Republicans’ request for changes to state’s low-car- bon fuels standard, which calls for greenhouse gas emis- sion reductions by 2025. In the agreement, the GOP won a cost cap of $200 per subsidy for efforts such as alternative fuel production and electric vehi- cles, a concession Republicans wanted to control the cost of the program. The deal also allows temporary suspension of parts of the program when there are fuel shortages. The bill also will see improvements of outer Pow- ell Boulevard — roughly from Interstate 205 east. The street, now owned and main- tained by the Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation, will be handed over to Portland for subsequent maintenance and improvements. Conversely, Cornelius Pass Road will revert to ODOT con- trol under this bill. The Capital Bureau is a col- laboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Dana Haynes is a reporter for Pamplin Media Group. In Memory Lenny Myers 1957-2017 We Miss You A Celebration of Life will be held at the Astoria Moose Lodge. Th e date will be announced at a later time.
