PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A critical special session of the Oregon legislature convenes Friday, and lawmakers are tasked with passing a transportation bill that will fund "much-needed" road projects and head off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Gov. Tina Kotek called the special session after a transportation bill failed during the regular session that ended in June. She is proposing a number of tax and fee increases that are together called LC2.

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If approved, these increases will fill a massive budget gap at ODOT and prevent up to 500 layoffs within the department.

Democrats say the $791 million raised over the next two years would handle immediate needs, but it's not a long-term solution

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