County staff say AOC mistakenly placed county logo on opposition email for HB 4,007 dash 17; amendment appears stalled
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Summary
County staff reported AOC placed Deschutes County’s logo on an emailed opposition letter to HB 4,007 Dash 17 (a safe-routes-to-schools transportation amendment); staff said the logo was later removed and the amendment is dead, while broader transportation budget and ballot-timing issues continue in Salem.
County legislative staff told commissioners Feb. 19 that the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) placed Deschutes County’s logo on an emailed letter opposing HB 4,007 Dash 17, an amendment tied to the state’s transportation package that county staff said would have affected funding for safe routes to schools.
Jen, the county staff member who briefed commissioners, said the logo appeared on the letter distributed by email to committee members and that she asked AOC to remove it after the county raised concerns. "It had been distributed. We did get clarification, that that letter was only distributed via email to the committee members. It was not submitted as testimony," Jen said.
Doug, the county’s legislative staff, described the Dash 17 amendment as a state-shared revenue issue and said it would have effectively deprived counties of funding in a transportation area tied to safe routes to schools. He noted some Eastern Oregon organizations and Umatilla County had joined the opposition email. Doug added the dash-17 amendment was “dead in the water” and AOC removed the logo after county follow-up.
Separately, Doug gave a broader update on transportation and short-session timing. He warned that Senate Bill 1599 — which would move a ballot measure’s election date from November to May — faced a possible Republican walkout that could deny quorum in the Senate and thus keep the measure on the November ballot. He also said the legislature is working to close an estimated $600,000,000 budget shortfall with a constitutional short-session deadline of March 8.
Why it matters: commissioners said they support safeguarding state funding for safe routes to schools but questioned how the programs would be paid for if related revenue sources are reduced. County staff recommended monitoring transportation negotiations in Salem and staying ready to advocate on funding mechanisms.
Next steps: staff will continue to monitor the transportation package and notify commissioners; no formal county position on Dash 17 was recorded during the meeting.