Democrats had raised the state gas tax by 6 cents a gallon and increased a series of fees to help pay for road improvements and plug a hole in the state’s transportation budget. Republicans responded by launching a successful referendum campaign to refer the tax and fee increases to voters.
Republican state Sen. Bruce Starr, who helped lead the referendum campaign, said he was “not surprised at all that Oregonians have rejected a completely unpopular tax increase.”
“Oregon voters will not be ignored. Oregon taxpayers will not be ignored,” he told The Associated Press Tuesday night.
