Oregon’s 24-member House Republican Caucus has released a DOGE-like funding framework that makes it clear they believe the “core mission” of the state’s transportation department is to only support car and truck drivers.
In a press release yesterday, House Republicans outlined around $730 million in cuts to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) budget that, if they became law, would have immense negative impacts on how people get around our state and would lower the quality of life for thousands of Oregonians.
The move comes in response to a framework released by Oregon Democrats one month ago.
As just one example of the draconian cuts, House Republicans would slash $306 million from the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) per biennium, an amount that would essentially wipe out the program entirely. The STIF was established by the Oregon Legislature in 2017 to fund bus service statewide (it can’t be used on light rail). ODOT raises STIF revenue from a 0.1% payroll tax, cigarette taxes, ID card fees and a non-highway gas taxes (applied to fuels for things like ATVs and farm equipment).
To put the value of this funding source in a local context, TriMet has received about $90 million a year from the STIF since 1993. 52% of that funding went toward service expansions, low-income fare support, safety and security, and bus stop upgrades. The STIF is also crucial for rural transit, and it includes special set-asides for bus service that connects rural towns across Oregon.
To House Republicans, the “core mission” of ODOT is “maintaining safe and reliable roads and bridges.” Based on their funding proposal, Republicans have made it clear they believe only car and truck drivers belong on those roads and that anyone who isn’t inside one does not have the right to safe travel.
Their plan would also cut entirely ODOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, the Oregon Community Paths Program, the Transportation Options Program, the Great Streets Program (which funds complete street treatments on state highways), the Passenger Rail Program, the Historic Columbia River Highway and State Trail project, and more.
Republicans also want to eliminate the Vehicle Privilege Tax, a 0.5% tax on new vehicle sales that raises $35 million for programs like the Clean Vehicle Rebate administered by the Department of Environmental Quality and ODOT’s Multimodal Active Transportation Fund.
While Republicans want to eliminate a tax on new car buyers, they don’t extend the same courtesy for folks who buy new bicycles. Despite their intention to eliminate the Oregon Community Paths Program, their plan does not call for getting rid of the bicycle excise tax that funds it.
“For years, ODOT has funded ideas instead of infrastructure,” said Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, a Republican and co-owner of her family’s trucking business, a statement. And Oregon House Republican Leader Christine Drazan said, “This plan protects Oregon families from more tax increases by requiring ODOT to cut wasteful spending that does not align with core functions.”
According to ODOT, nearly 20% of Oregon households use transit at least once per week and 31% of Oregonians are not licensed drivers. One out of every 10 Oregonians of driving age do not have even have a drivers license. While their plan might protect families from tax increases, it would rob them of the freedom to choose how they get around and force more people into a mode of transportation that costs an average of $11,000 per year to use and maintain.
Advocates with Move Oregon Forward have denounced the Republican framework. “In a time when inflation and tariffs are hitting working people hard, Republicans are proposing transit cuts that would make it harder for low-income Oregonians to get to work, school, or the doctor,” said Joel Iboa, Executive Director of Oregon Just Transition Alliance, who called the proposal’s backers, “DOGE-wannabes who are pushing outdated, harmful ideas.”
Executive Director of The Street Trust Sarah Iannarone put the cuts in stark terms. “If you defund the programs that keep our kids and our grandparents safe crossing the street, more of them will die. We must invest in walking, biking, rolling, and transit for all Oregonians, and give them freedom to get around.”
Now that both parties have laid out their framework, we wait for the actual funding package bill to be released. Oregon lawmakers are expected to unveil the bill on May 15th with public hearings in Salem to begin the following week.
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This proposal by OR Repubs should be DOA – dead on arrival. It’s not serious. The only thing it does is allow Repubs to say to their base, “We fought the Dem proposals to provide a consistent source of revenue for transportation in Oregon.”
In other news, my toddler wants to abolish brussel sprouts. More at 11.
It’s disturbing that there’s a large enough constituent base to support this type of legislation.
In a less cheeky comment, what really gets my goat about this is that these so-called fiscally conscious conservatives want to go all-in on the most expensive, least efficient transportation network possible. Good urbanism is good finances for everyone who isn’t a trucking or highway engineering executive!
But of course, it’s not actually about ideological consistency; it’s just politics. And their politics is a blend of short-sighted, spiteful rural supremacy and Bible thumping (but certainly not reading!) culture war posturing.
Yyyyep!!
The problem with Oregon legislative politics is that roughly half of the Democratic legislators are so conservative they are “Democrats-in-name-only” and periodically the state passes legislation that anyone “liberal” would find offensive, including the RQ and Columbia Bridge projects. The concern of course is that these same Democrats will join the forces of darkness and align themselves with Darth Vader on certain budget items.