Sunday, June 30 is the deadline to pass a transportation package, save 1,000 essential jobs

SALEM – The Oregon legislature has until Sunday to pass HB 2025, which would fund the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and prevent the loss of approximately 1,000 jobs and the essential work they do to keep our highways safe and clean.

ODOT crews do a very specialized public service for the people of Oregon, operating 24/7, 365. ODOT frontline workers maintain over 8,000 miles of state highways and roads, preserve 2,700 bridges and culverts, respond to more than 45,000 crashes annually, and serve 13,000 customers per day at the DMV. The agency’s core services allow Oregonians and freight to move throughout the state, boosting our economy.

If the legislature fails to act, public servants like Lon Stockebrand who has worked for ODOT for nearly 3 decades clearing snow from highways around Crater Lake will be laid off. There will be no one to replace Lon and the work his crew does.

Rural, coastal, and central Oregon will suffer more than any other part of the state due to budget cuts. Without regular maintenance and upgrades, snow, heavy rain, and wildfires will quickly deteriorate our statewide transportation system. ODOT shop closures and hundreds of job cuts mean that Oregonians will wait much longer for help after a serious or fatal collision – if help is coming at all – especially in remote areas. Inaction also puts law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency responders at great risk. Oregonians are calling on our legislature to fund this essential infrastructure before it’s too late.