Boiler Bay Beacon
Oregonians who signed the petition to refer Governor Tina Kotek’s 2025 transportation tax and fee increases to the ballot now face a rapidly accelerating legislative push that could change when they get to vote.
Senate Bill 1599, introduced earlier this week, would move the vote on Referendum Petition 2026-302 from the November 3, 2026 general election to the May 19, 2026 primary election. The bill declares an emergency and is currently in the Joint Special Committee on Referendum Petition 2026-302.
A public hearing on SB 1599 is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, February 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM in Hearing Room 50 (HR 50) at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. The meeting includes an organizational portion (adoption of committee rules) followed by the public hearing on the bill.
The timeline is extremely compressed: The bill was introduced just days ago, and the hearing comes less than a week later. This leaves limited time for public awareness, news reporting, and citizen input.
As an independent local news outlet, Boiler Bay Beacon is committed to covering Oregon civic issues fairly and without endorsement. We submitted written testimony to the committee today, expressing concern that the accelerated process limits opportunities for thorough journalism, public education, balanced voters’ pamphlet arguments, and informed questioning of stakeholders. Lower turnout in a May primary (compared to November generals) could affect participation on a measure that drew over 250,000 petition signatures expecting a general election vote.
Oregon law allows written testimony to be submitted online via the Oregon Legislative Information System up to 48 hours after the scheduled start time of the hearing—so until approximately 1:00 PM on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
To submit your own written testimony:
- Visit the bill page: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Measures/Overview/SB1599
The hearing will likely be livestreamed or recorded—check the OLIS site or https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Pages/Legislative-Video.aspx for access.
Boiler Bay Beacon will continue monitoring this bill and related developments. Whether you support, oppose, or are neutral on shifting the referendum date, this is a key moment for public input.
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