Dem Rep. wants fewer "procedural games" as tax bill sits unsigned on Kotek's desk

Governor still has not signed her signature bill while urging Oregonians to think before signing a petition to determine whether Oregonians agree with her

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek takes part in an emergency preparedness drill

State Rep. Emerson Levy (D-Bend) called for for both parties to play fewer “procedural games” in response to a question regarding her view of Governor Tina Kotek’s ongoing refusal to sign into law the governor’s signature legislative achievement, a $4.3 billion tax and fee hike bill she muscled through a reluctant legislature last month.

As of this morning, HB 3991 remains unsigned on Kotek’s desk. Each day Kotek refuses to sign the bill she described as an urgent necessity to prevent transportation worker layoffs and continue to plow highways this upcoming winter deprives her Republican opponents of a day to gather signatures to require a statewide vote on the tax hike.

Levy was one of a handful of House Democrats representing electorally competitive districts who reportedly expressed reservations about an earlier, larger transportation tax hike bill that collapsed in the waning days of the first 2025 session of the legislature. Levy, like all legislative Democrats save one, voted for the scaled-back, $4.3 billion bill that awaits Kotek’s signature.

There is no public polling on voters’ view of HB 3991. However, there are indications Oregonians might not like it very much at all. It took supermajority-wielding Democrats two legislative sessions, including the longest special session in state history, to pass the tax hike. Willamette Week reported a June 2025 poll conducted by a business group showed “voters strongly oppose” what was then a proposed 10-cent per gallon hike (HB 3991 includes a six cent per gallon hike). Sixty-five percent of poll respondents classified the condition of state highways as “good,” and putting “roads and traffic” at the bottom of a list of priorities on which homelessness, government mismanagement and housing affordability predominated, according to Willamette Week.

Thursday, Oregon Roundup emailed six Democratic legislators who were thought to harbor, or expressed publicly, concerns about a transportation tax hike in 2025. Their responses, including Levy’s, follow:

State Rep. Emerson Levy (D-Bend)

“Neither side of politics is immune to procedural games, but at a time when faith in our democratic process is low, we need fewer games and more trust-building.”

State Rep. Cyrus Javadi (D-Tillamook) (Javadi, elected as a Republican, began caucusing with Democrats immediately following his vote for HB 3991)

Thanks for reaching out. I’m happy to share my opinion, but it’s only my opinion. I haven’t spoken with other members of the Democratic caucus or the Governor’s office.

Republicans had every opportunity during the August special session to show up, provide quorum, and vote yes on the bill if timing was a concern. They chose not to.

The Governor is acting within standard procedure, and the Legislature’s goal was to keep Oregon’s roads maintained and our crews working safely. And, honestly, Oregonians will still have the full opportunity to sign petitions and, if enough signatures are gathered, to vote on the measure.

Had Republicans removed procedural obstacles to the passage of HB 3991 so that it passed in August instead of September, the same rules regarding collection of referendum signatures only after the governor signs the bill would have applied.

State Senator Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro)

Hello Jeff,

Thank you for reaching out. Senator Sollman is currently out of office, through next week, and we will not be able to speak with her ahead of your deadline.

Thank you,

Nickole Vargas (she/her)

Chief of Staff

I sent my email to Senator Sollman’s office at 10:04 am Thursday and asked for a response by close of business Friday for inclusion in this article.

Senator Mark Meek (D-Gladstone)

No response received.

State Rep. Annessa Hartman (D-Gladstone) (Hartman was the one Democratic state legislator to vote against HB 3991. She announced shortly after casting her vote she would not run for re-election to the House, and would instead run for Clackamas County Commission)

No response received.

State Rep. John Lively (D-Springfield)

No response received

Oregon Roundup contacted Kotek’s spokesperson asking for a comment on Levy’s “procedural games” remark. The spokesperson did not respond. Kotek’s office has not responded to Oregon Roundup’s requests for comment since we reported in December 2024 the governor’s spokesperson, Elisabeth Shepard, held an emergency meeting with top state staff and a lobbyist for automatic voter registration in the wake of disclosure Oregon had registered at least 1,500 voters who had not demonstrated citizenship as required by Oregon and federal law.

State Senator Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) and Rep. Ed Diehl (R-Scio) have announced they will commence collecting the approximately 78,000 signatures needed to put a repeal of HB 3991 on the November 2026 ballot as soon as Kotek signs the bill into law. A quirk in Oregon law set the repeal deadline based on the day the legislature adjourned its 2025 special session, but prohibits signature collection until Kotek signs the bill.

According to The Oregonian, Kotek said about the signature-gathering effort:

Frankly, I would urge Oregonians to think about signing on to a referral that will take away our basic ability as Oregonians to keep our roads operating. We’re going to move forward with the assumption we have this and we have to move forward for the state and we’ll see what happens.