Organizers of the referendum effort to overturn the gas tax enacted by the Oregon Legislature last fall have turned in more than 250,000 signatures from Oregon voters, they reported last week.
According to Bruce Starr, one of the chief petitioners behind the effort, organizers turned in a total of 250,900 signatures to the state Elections Office on Monday, Dec. 29, prior to the Dec. 31 deadline.
The signature-gathering effort was visible locally as volunteers spent weeks manning booths in both Lebanon and Sweet Home.
Organizers of the referendum effort said they were turning in additional signatures to State Elections, bringing their total count to 250,900 Oregon voters who have signed the petition.
That is more than triple the 78,116 valid signatures needed to qualify. It is the largest and quickest volunteer referendum drive in Oregon history.
Starr, the referendum’s chief petitioner, said: “Oregonians from every corner of the state spent their holiday season gathering signatures. Because of their hard work, the will of Oregon voters will not be ignored. The credit for this success goes to the tireless volunteers across this great state – they are nothing short of amazing.”
State Rep. Ed Diehl, another of the organizers behind the effort, said: “The people of Oregon have spoken loud and clear. They expect ODOT to be accountable for the money it already has, and they expect road safety and maintenance to be the highest priority – not an afterthought.”
The Right to Vote on the Gas Tax PAC campaign had previously turned in over 190,000 signatures to the State Elections Office for early verification on December 15th which is allowed for petition drives that cross the legal threshold to qualify. As the State Elections has been reviewing those signatures, the campaign has continued to gather signatures until the final deadline last week.
“The quarter million signatures gathered is a testament that people consider the right to vote on taxes to be critically important to their lives,” said Jason Williams, another chief petitioner. “They were left out of the tax debate this year and this campaign gave them their voice back and gave them their vote back.
“This tax is going to cost many families hundreds of dollars in new taxes every year, and that will hit especially hard the unemployed looking for a job, the seniors on a limited income and disabled among us.
“People cannot afford this tax and this petition has been their lifeline to voice their opposition.”
Democratic legislators this week announced they are implementing a new “Outcome Reviews” tool to “assess, review and improve the implementation of previously passed laws. The goal is to enhance outcomes for Oregonians, further community engagement and make sure Oregon laws are working as intended. ”
State Sen. Dick Anderson, a Republican, said the referendum “is one obvious example of Oregonians’ frustration with ever-increasing taxes, but Oregon faces a financial reckoning on multiple levels.”