Oregon Public Broadcasting

Backers of an effort to overturn a pair of tax increases in Oregon say they've already made their signature goal.

Friday is the deadline for the campaign to submit signatures to force the measures onto the ballot. The tax opponents mounted a final push over the weekend. Salem Correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

It takes 55,000 valid signatures to refer a legislative measure to the ballot. Organizers of a drive to force votes on an income tax hike and a corporate tax hike predict they'll far exceed that number.

They plan to bring a load of boxes full of signature sheets to the Secretary of State's office on Friday.

Salem gas station owner Brent DeHart has been gathering up completed signature sheets. He's the chief petitioner on the corporate tax referendum and says the extra taxes under the measure would force him to lay off employees.

Brent DeHart: “You don't really want to discourage and punish the people who create the jobs who pay income taxes that support all of our state services.”

Majority Democrats in the Legislature used the taxes to help plug a $4 billion hole in the state budget.

They say overturning the taxes would mean big cuts to schools, social services and public safety programs.