Drink tax (HB 3940 hearing)

House Billl 3940 Places a surcharge on sales of beverage containers for purposes of wildfire prevention and response.
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

House Bill 3940 has a public hearing next Tuesday, 04/01/2025 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM , HR F in House Climate, Energy, and Environment.  It may be a vote to send it to another committee — but it is still a bad bill.

House Bill 3940 puts a tax on all beverage containers — beer, wine, soda, juice, cider and just plain water by our estimate.

You can submit online testimony here (click submit testimony tab on top)

*** not to be confused with the other drink tax HB 3197 (8% tax)  to have a hearing the exact same week ***

They want this new 5-cent drink tax to be used for a new fund to fight wildfires …

… but …

…. why didn’t they fund wildfire funding with the 20% budget increase from last time?

This tax also rewards the liberal health lobby who have been trying to tax soda pop and reduce beer/wine drinking in Oregon.

Remember the anti-wine ads they ran?

Remember the scandal of the Health Dept. hiding a beer/wine tax study because they didn’t like the results?

You can submit online testimony here (click submit testimony tab on top)

House Bill 3940 summary, “The Act raises and moves money to pay for wildfire costs. The Act makes certain changes to laws related to forests and fire protection. Places a surcharge on sales of beverage containers for purposes of wildfire prevention and response. Directs insurance retaliatory tax revenue to wildfire prevention and response. Transfers one-half percent of General Fund appropriations per biennium to a fund for wildfire prevention and response. Transfers 50 percent of the amount held in the Oregon Rainy Day Fund to a fund for wildfire prevention and response. Makes certain changes related to the forest products harvest tax, minimum assessments and surcharges, zones for fire protection in certain areas and the formation of rural fire protection districts. Requires the Legislative Assembly to make moneys available to the State Forestry Department and the Department of the State Fire Marshal to repay loans from the State Treasurer for wildfire suppression costs. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.”

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