The big transportation bill is dead

Oregon Public Broadcasting is reporting that House Bill 2025 is dead:

“According to four sources within the Legislature, Democrats acknowledged Friday morning they do not have the votes to pass House Bill 2025. The sweeping bill would have hiked an array of taxes and fees in order to generate billions for much-needed road projects.”

It’s stunning news for the $11.6 billion transportation package that passed out of committee Thursday night. Momentum seemed to pick up when one Republican member of the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment, House Rep. Kevin Mannix, voted yes on the bill. But if OPB has it right, all that might pass this session is a paltry, three-cent gas tax increase that Democrats have attached to a separate bill (HB 3402-3).

HB 2025 was supposed to get voted on by the House and Senate today. But it’s 1:50 pm and the vote in the House still hasn’t happened. The House is in recess and is slated to re-convene at 2:15 pm today. I asked one source if the bill was really dead and they messaged back, “Currently using the defibrillator.”

Sources say the bill had enough votes in the House, but not in the Senate. The bill needed just one Senate Republican to support the bill, and it wasn’t going to happen.

I’ll post a confirmation once I know more. (*See this update to learn about HB 3402-3, the new transportation bill for this session.)

In the meantime, check out this video about how one lawmaker who opposes HB 2025 — Democratic Senator Mark Meek — poisoned the debate by spreading blatant falsehoods on social media. This is a good illustration of how many oppositional voices to this bill are not using their platforms to discuss alternative policy positions, but instead are stooping to fear-mongering and bad faith arguments to foment anger at the people and process behind the bill.

UPDATE: Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has released a statement about HB 3402-3, the bill Democrats have stuffed with transportation policy as an alternative to HB 2025. I’m still learning what the bill does, but Wilson doesn’t like it. Here’s his statement:

“After more than a year outlining the tremendous need at the local level, House Bill 3402-3 threatens to sideline local authority and transit priorities at a time when collaboration is most needed.

Portland operates Oregon’s second-largest transportation system, which supports millions of people and goods moving in and out of the state. This bill puts that system at risk. It jeopardizes dozens of essential city infrastructure jobs and our ability to perform basic safety functions like filling potholes and implementing traffic safety improvements.

We can’t afford a patchwork solution. Legislators, please don’t leave Salem without addressing crumbling city transportation systems. We’re calling on our state partners to lean into our shared commitment to building a resilient and future-ready transportation network for all Oregonians.”