Kotek’s $1.00 liquor tax

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s proposed liquor tax, if passed, would be the THIRD TIME recently she has increased taxes on liquor.

A few weeks ago and without much public notice, Kotek’s Liquor Commission (OLCC) extended the 50-cent-per-bottle tax on liquor.  This 50-cent tax was first adopted in 2009 and was supposed to sunset after three months.   Gov. Kotek let is quietly extend.

Now Kotek, in her just released 2-year State Budget, has created a new 50-cent tax upon the 50-cent one just extended.  This new tax, if passed would bring the tax to a $1.00 this year.

In 2019, Kotek voted for Senate Bill 248 which increases OLCC fees by $9.2 million, more than tripling fees for wineries, on premises service and brew pubs.

By raising taxes slowly and from different sources, the politicians are better able to sneak taxes by the public unnoticed.

Here is some more information on the 50-cent OLCC tax.   Since 2009 the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has extended that tax—which was initially adopted for three months to offset legislative cuts for liquor agents’ pay—to boost the general fund, the newspaper reported. The most recent vote two weeks ago extending the tax until the end of the 2023-2025 biennium is expected to bring $45.2 million into the general fund. But a spokesman for the Distilled Spirits Council said higher taxes passed on to consumers will result in fewer sales and lead to cuts in employment. The council also contends the tax unfairly raises taxes on liquor without increasing surcharges on beer.

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