Taxpayer Association: Big tax bills one step closer

Taxpayer Association of Oregon Capitol Update:

The two anticipated tax bills, HB 2649 and 3405, have been passed out of House Revenue to Ways & Means to avoid a Minority Report (i.e. Republicans offering a counter proposal).

Insider news at the Capitol say that the Democrats, despite supermajority in both chambers, do not have enough votes to pass a big outright and may refer it to voters with a simple majority vote. The vote may take place in September so everything can be well forgotten by election time. Representative Mary Nolan, a strong liberal in Portland, voted AGAINST the gas tax last week, but did not notify anyone until the vote. Talk is that she will lose her leadership position. She apparantly voted against the gas tax bill because the transportation bill was not pro-environment enough.