Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers were already considering a two cent per gallon increase in the Oregon gas tax.  Now, that could go even higher.  

The idea is part of a massive transportation bill that got its first hearing at the capitol Monday.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

Oregon’s Ted Kulongoski was among the first governors to push a shift away from taxing people by the gallon and instead tax them by the mile.  He’s gotten national attention for the idea.  But that’s several years off.  

In the meantime, Oregon pays for much of its highway maintenance with a gas tax.  Kulongoski proposed a two-cent per gallon increase.  But Democratic Transportation Committee Chair Terry Beyer says some lawmakers want to go two or three times higher than that.

Terry Beyer:  “I think there is a limit to where we can get to, but I do think that if we have a gas tax it will be higher than two cents.”

Fuel industry lobbyist Paul Romain says gas stations would be willing to accept a six cent per gallon increase in the statewide gas tax.  

In exchange, they want to overturn a rule that allows local governments to levy their own gas taxes.  Nearly two dozen of them do that right now.

Online:

Oregon House Bill 2120