Live: Day 2 of the Oregon Legislature’s special session on transportation

The Joint Special Session Committee on Transportation Funding is scheduled to hold a public hearing at noon on Aug. 31 to hear comments on Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation funding bills, which would increase the gas tax and other fees in addition to phasing in a road usage charge for electric vehicles and other changes.

Registration for public testimony is open on the Legislature’s website until 11:30 a.m. Public comments will continue to be collected for 48 hours after the hearing begins. So far, 786 people have submitted comments online.

During the first public hearing on Aug. 25, more than 90 people who had registered to speak were unable to testify by the time the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding adjourned.

Legislative staff said those individuals should register for the upcoming hearing and will be prioritized.

The second hearing was originally scheduled to be held on Aug. 29, but was postponed after multiple delays due to not enough House members in attendance for a quorum. By the time the House convened at 8:15 p.m., most of the people who had been in Salem for the hearing had left the Capitol Building.

The House of Representatives also is scheduled to convene at 4 p.m. for an expected second reading of the bills that make up the transportation package, House Bill 3991 and House Bill 3992, the only measures under consideration for the special session.

Follow along as Statesman Journal legislative reporter Dianne Lugo and state government reporter Anastasia Mason provide live coverage of the Aug. 31 hearing and the 4 p.m. House session for the second reading of the bill.

Why Gov. Tina Kotek called the Oregon Legislature into special session

The 2025 Legislature adjourned on June 27 without passing a transportation bill, leaving the Oregon Department of Transportation short about $300 million to maintain service levels for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1.

Kotek announced layoffs of 483 ODOT workers and the closure of a dozen maintenance stations across the state. The layoffs and closures were later put on hold, pending the outcome of the special session.

How Kotek’s bill would raise $5.7 billion over 10 years for transportation

Kotek’s proposed transportation package is estimated to raise $5.7 billion over the next 10 years. Her proposal includes:

• A 6-cent increase to the state gas tax for a total of 46 cents per gallon
• A $42 and $132 increase in vehicle registration and title fees, respectively
• A doubling of the 0.1% payroll tax to fund public transit
• A $30 supplemental registration fee for electric vehicles, and
• A new “road usage charge” to be phased in for electric and hybrid cars starting in 2027

HB 3991 also has new accountability measures, including transferring the power to appoint and fire the director of the ODOT to the governor instead of the Oregon Transportation Commission and repeals mandatory tolling language from the existing statute (which Kotek paused in 2024).

The last major transportation package, House Bill 2017, gave the transportation commission the power to hire and fire the head of ODOT.

Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at acmason@statesmanjournal.com or 971-208-5615.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo or Bluesky @diannelugo.bsky.social