Oregon braces for tax tsunami

Oregon Senate Republicans

SALEM-Despite the overwhelmingly rejection of Measure 97 and the availability of $1.3 billion in new revenue next biennium, an 8.3 percent increase from 2015 to 2017, the Democrat-controlled House and Senate Revenue Committees have introduced over a dozen bills increasing taxes. Gov. Kate Brown has already proposed $900 million in tax increases and also wants to use $110 million for a new round of employee raises.

Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, offered the following statement:

“Instead of reducing government waste and reforming our insolvent pension system, the Democrats are attempting to foist on our constituents hundreds of millions in new taxes. Oregonians spoke very clearly when they voted no on Measure 97, and Senate Republicans will do everything we can to protect them from this tax tsunami. It is flat-out wrong to be punishing victims of crimes, struggling businesses, charitable donations, farmers, homeownership, and conservation efforts. Oregon taxpayers should ‘duck and cover.'”

Senate Finance and Revenue Committee tax increase proposals:

• Repeal Ballot Measure 50 – LC 2282
• Struggling Business Tax – LC 2324
• Vaping Tax – LC 2656
• Daycare Tax – LC 2321

House Revenue Committee tax increase proposals:

• Seniors Medical and Dental Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Homeownership Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Charity Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Cow Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Farmer Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Conservation Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Air Pollution Control Facility Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Forest Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Victims Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Buildings and Equipment Tax – LC 2378 & 2387
• Struggling Business Tax – LC 2384
• S-corp businesses Tax Hike, even if they lose money – LC 2385
• C-corp businesses Tax Hike – LC 2380
• AirBnb Tax – LC 1049
• Steal the personal income tax kicker in violation of the Oregon Constitution and turn it into a wealth redistribution program – LC 2257
• Nonprofit Property Tax Study – LC 2286
• Daycare Tax – LC 2369
• Tobacco Products Tax – LC 2375
• Vaping Tax – LC 2389
• Repeal Ballot Measure 50 – LC 2402

Brown’s tax increase proposals:

• $600 million from new taxes on hospitals and insurance companies (which includes revising the Hospital Assessment structure to make it a true tax and reinstating the insurance and managed care tax that expired in 2013)
• $183 million by eliminating the Small Business Tax Cut from the 2013 Grand Bargain
• $39.1 million by increasing the liquor surcharge from $0.50 to $1 per bottle and increasing alcohol-licensing fees
• $35.2 million by increasing cigarette tax from $1.33 per pack to $2.18 per pack, plus increasing taxes on cigars, moist snuff, and other tobacco products
• $28 million by allowing sunset of tax credits for qualified research activities ($4.1 million), residential alternative energy devices ($15.7 million) renewable energy development ($2.4 million), energy conservation projects ($4.4 million), and production or collection of biomass ($1.4 million)