Oregon voters will weigh in on transportation funding at the earliest possible juncture, allowing lawmakers to hammer out road maintenance and repair solutions sooner, under a bill passed in the state Senate today (Monday, Feb. 23).
“Oregon voters have made it clear that they want a voice in how we fund transportation in our state. Senate Bill 1599 brings the date of the election to this spring so the people of Oregon can be heard as quickly as possible,” said Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama (D – E Portland, Boring & Damascus).
Under Senate Bill 1599, Referendum Petition 2026-302 will be on every Oregon ballot May 19, 2026. The referendum will decide whether to repeal increases in fuel taxes, vehicle registration and title fees, and transit payroll taxes passed by the legislature in 2025 to fund essential transportation maintenance, construction, and operations, including emergency responses.
Knowing whether the transportation funding will be preserved or voted down is essential before the legislature can get back to work in solving the long-term budget issues: keeping roads and bridges safe for Oregonians and protecting maintenance and construction jobs that are tied to our transportation system. Without Senate Bill 1599, key budget questions would remain unresolved until November.
“The sooner that we in this governing body can get explicit direction from the public, the sooner that we in the legislature can get to work on the difficult task of finding a long-term solution that protects and preserves our existing public infrastructure,” said Senator Khanh Pham (D – SE & NE Portland).
The Oregon Constitution gives the legislature the authority to set the date of referendum elections. Senate Bill 1599 passed in a vote of 17 to 13. It now moves to the Oregon House of Representatives.
This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
