Committee approves transit funding task force to study sustainable revenue options
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Summary
House Bill 4,008 would create a transit funding task force to study sustainable funding for transit. The committee adopted membership and scope changes (dash‑5) specifying nonvoting legislative members and appointment authority and referred the bill to Ways and Means with some objections.
House Bill 4,008, which establishes a transit funding task force to study sustainable transit funding and report back to the legislature, advanced from the House Committee on Transportation after members debated membership, appointment authority and study scope.
Patrick summarized the bill and its two amendments. The dash‑2 revision adjusts study topics; the dash‑5 amendment adds one legislator from each chamber as nonvoting members, makes the Oregon Department of Transportation a nonvoting participant, removes the requirement that employer representatives be headquartered in Oregon, and shifts appointment authority for nonlegislative members to presiding officers to expedite selection.
Supporters argued the task force could produce durable policy options beyond what short session time allows; some members said the work should include climate and equity impacts and warned transit funding has been unstable in recent years. Opponents raised local‑control and cost concerns but did not block referral. The committee adopted dash‑5 (recorded objections occurred) and moved HB 4,008 as amended to the floor with a do‑pass recommendation and referral to Ways and Means.