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Senators stress transit's role as floor debate centers on funding options
Summary
During floor remarks, senators from both parties urged recognition of transit-dependent riders and criticized framing the funding debate as a binary choice; members cited veterans and visually impaired riders and warned rural impacts of payroll-tax proposals.
Senators used remonstrances and floor remarks to press the legislature to consider the human impact of transportation funding changes, emphasizing that many Oregonians depend on public transit for jobs, health care and daily life.
Senator Golden said the chamber broadly supports transit but must find an "appropriate source" of funding rather than abandoning riders: "We support transit. We just need this time to find a more appropriate way to fund it," Golden said. The senator urged colleagues not to treat the funding debate as an excuse to cut services.
Senator Pham highlighted testimony from veterans and people who are visually impaired, saying transit investments enable some residents "to get a job and be a contributing member of society," and described the high costs of car ownership that make transit essential for low‑income and rural residents. "Because I can't afford the $12,000 a year it costs to own and maintain a car," Pham said, "public transit investments are what allows me to reduce the cost of living."
Other members raised concerns about how revenue choices would affect different communities. Senator Brock Smith warned a payroll-tax approach would "negatively hurt my constituents" in rural districts who travel farther for goods and services. Senator McLean criticized the framing of the session as a binary choice, calling it a "false dichotomy" that risks shutting out middle-ground options.
The session also included staff recognition: Senator Bonham invited the chamber to acknowledge Heidi Elliott, identified in remarks as legislative counsel, for drafting transportation-bill amendments and working through a holiday weekend. In separate remarks, Senator Robinson criticized the reported $234,375 Capitol regilding expense, noting about $9,110 of that total was gold leaf and questioning the overall cost to taxpayers.
The Senate did not take a floor vote on transit funding during this session; members used remarks and remonstrances to underscore political and practical trade-offs and to urge further consideration and compromise.
