SALEM, OR - Corporations and people in upper income brackets
would pay more income tax under a pair of bills narrowly approved
today in the Oregon House. The measures are a key part of a plan
by majority Democrats to balance the state’s budget. Correspondent
Chris Lehman reports.
One measure would raise taxes on corporations, and the other would
hike income taxes on households earning more than 250-thousand
dollars. Together the two bills would raise about 730 million dollars
over the next two years. Republicans said the measures would stifle
business and hurt productivity. But Democrats like Representative
Chris Edwards said the new revenue would head off even deeper
cuts.
Edwards: “To discuss compromising public safety and our education
system and the safety net for the sake of those that don’t want to
pay just a little bit more, is just frankly ridiculous.”
The two bills barely cleared the three-fifths majority required for
any tax increase in the Oregon Legislature. They now head over to
the Senate. The head of the anti-tax group FreedomWorks Oregon
is promising an all-out effort to force at least one of the tax
increases onto the ballot.
Copyright 2009 OPB
On the Web:
Oregon House Bill 3405-A
Oregon House Bill 2649-A