Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon’s iconic kicker refunds would become less likely under a measure introduced Tuesday in Salem. The proposal would go before voters.  It’s meant to shore up the state’s fledgling rainy day fund.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

Right now Oregonians get a tax rebate check when the state brings more money than predicted.  The threshold for it to kick in is two percent.

This proposal would raise that to six percent.

Under the ballot measure, much of the money that would have been paid out as a kicker would instead go into the state’s rainy day fund.  

The idea grew out of a year-long task force chaired by former Republican lawmaker Lane Shetterly.

Lane Shetterly:  “It won’t solve the current budget problems.  I think that needs to be underscored.  But it will go a long way toward making us better able to weather the next downturn that we know is inevitably coming.”

The question is whether Oregon voters would say yes to a measure that means fewer kicker checks.

Lawmakers in Olympia are also exploring ways to beef up their state’s reserve funds.  Both states are facing multi-billion dollar deficits for the next fiscal cycle.