House Speaker at risk after gas tax botch

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Once again Salem State Capitol rumors are abuzz that Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey is under serious fire from her own Democrat lawmaker colleges after the Session’s biggest and most anticipated issue, the transportation package, was wildly mismanaged and driven off a cliff when it died in committee.   This maladministration could be seen by other issues during the Session.

On Friday, the last day of Session when the transportation bill died, Capital watchers noticed that the ceremonial formality of approving the House Speaker’s nominations for the Emergency Board was suddenly facing no votes from a handful of Democrat lawmakers.  It was a surprise, and a last-hour protest.

Willamette Week noted on how this failure was a blow to Oregon’s unions, “The biggest immediate loser will be the members of Service Employees International Union who are set to be laid off later this week.Fully half of ODOT’s nearly 5,000 employees are SEIU members: 1,700 in maintenance, operations and headquarters jobs and about 800 at the DMV, Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Immediately after the session ended, ODOT director Kris Strickler sent an email to all employees, warning of 600 layoffs…’Our members are disappointed generally that we didn’t figure out how to pass this package,’ Unger says.” (read more)

If House Speaker Julie Fahey cannot quell the revolt she may be challenged.

Stay tuned.