Funding for Oregon’s highways, bridges is uncertain, after tax increases suspended by referendum effort

The Republican-led group attempting to halt a scheduled increase to Oregon’s transportation taxes said Friday they submitted more than enough signatures to allow voters the final say next November.

That means Oregonians will no longer see a 6-cent increase to the state’s 40 cents per gallon gas tax or hikes to title and registration fees in January. It also means electric vehicle drivers will not have to imminently begin paying a fee per mile driven, and the state’s 0.1% payroll tax for transit will not temporarily double as it was set to do.

Instead, the taxes will immediately be suspended and voters will likely decide next November on whether to increase their own taxes. Lawmakers of both parties expect that if the referendum qualifies for the ballot, voters would reject the taxes.