Salem Attempts to Steal Oregonians’ Voices

SB 1599 is the fourth attempt in the last year by politicians in Salem to silence Oregonians’ voices on taxes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2026
Contact: Nick@NoTaxOR.com

SALEM, OR – Today, SB 1599 received its first reading in the Senate. This bill is the fourth attempt in the last year by politicians in Salem to silence Oregonians’ voices on taxes. SB 1599 would move the referendum on transportation tax and fee increases from the November election to the upcoming election in May. Make no mistake: this is an effort to silence Oregonians’ voices as May elections historically have lower voter turnout than November elections. Oregon law is clear that the referendum must be on the November ballot. Lawmakers should guarantee that the largest number of Oregon voters possible have a say in whether their taxes go up.

No Tax Oregon, a project of Oregon Freedom Coalition (OFC), urges members of the legislature to protect the will of the People, and let them vote in November.

Unfortunately, Governor Tina Kotek and the 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly have a poor track record of listening to Oregonians. This is the fourth attempt to silence Oregonians in the last year. The first attempt came during the 2025 Regular Session, when lawmakers held closed-door negotiations and waited until the final days of session to attempt to ram tax and fee hikes through the legislature. Thankfully, those efforts failed.

Governor Kotek, determined to raise Oregonians’ taxes, called an emergency session for September. In spite of thousands of Oregonians submitting testimony in opposition, Governor Kotek and her legislative allies ignored the voice of the People.

Once the tax and fee hikes were passed, Governor Kotek then waited to sign the legislation into law in order to give voters less time to sign the referendum that would give voters their voice back. In spite of this, an unprecedented 250,000 Oregonians made their voices heard by signing the referendum.

And now, the Legislature wants to move the election date so that Oregonians again do not have a voice.

Representative Ed Diehl, one of the Chief Petitioners, commented on the attempt, saying:

When 250,000 Oregonians sign a petition that clearly promises a November 2026 vote, the government doesn’t get to change the rules midstream. Moving the referendum to May by separate legislation is unprecedented, likely unconstitutional, and designed to silence public participation by denying citizens adequate time to submit arguments to the voters’ pamphlet. Oregonians deserve a fair vote—not a rigged calendar.

Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr, also a Chief Petitioner, weighed in, stating:

SB 1599 is a slap in the face to the 250,000 plus Oregonians who signed the referendum petition knowing the vote would be held in November's general election. The Governor and Democratic supermajority are playing politics clearly not wanting to share the general election ballot with their hugely unpopular tax scheme.

Jason Williams, Founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon and the third Chief Petitioner on the referendum, noted:

A quarter million Oregonians signed a petition saying exactly what they wanted to vote upon and when they wanted that vote to happen. The will of the voters is being denied and tossed aside as politicians play political election date games. At every step of this near-year-long process of debating the gas tax, politicians have marginalized voters by limiting their input and involvement, SB 1599 is another example of dismissing voters.

Nick Stark, Executive Director of OFC and Director of No Tax Oregon, clarified what the attempt to move the election date is really about:

Governor Kotek and her legislative allies simply do not want to be held accountable for not listening to the People. They believe they know what’s best for Oregonians’ pocketbooks, and they don’t want to be told they are wrong. The voters should vote in November, but whether May or November, voters will not forget the attempts to silence them.

For media inquiries, please contact Nick Stark at Nick@NoTaxOR.com.