The Oregon House Committee on Revenue recently proposed two tax bills, one on coffee and one on old cars, according to the Willamette Week.
“What can’t we tax?” questions NFIB/OR State Director Anthony K. Smith. “Not much, but legislators who want to raise revenue at all costs should probably ask themselves, ‘What should we tax?’ more often, and probably before the media gets a hold of the proposal.”
Each bill had its own provisions. The coffee bill would’ve imposed a five cent per pound tax on coffee at the wholesale level, while the old-cars bill would’ve required a $1,000 tax every five years on vehicles 20 years old and older.
Proceeds from the coffee bill would have gone to the Alternative Education Sustainability Fund, while proceeds from the old cars bill would have gone to the Oregon State Highway Fund.
Republicans harshly criticized the latter.
“The used car tax proposal is pathetic,” House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) said in a press release. “Only out-of-touch liberals could have come up with an idea this dumb, which would hurt seniors, students and working families.”
Luckily, both bills are pretty much dead at this point. Speaking on the old cars bill, Rep. Phil Barnhart (D-Eugene), chair of the House Revenue Committee, said a hearing has not been set and it’s not likely on will be, and the coffee tax bill is unlikely to move forward as well.
“There are 100 bills in the committee, and most will not receive a hearing,” a spokesperson from Barnhart’s office said.
Smith added, “The media did a great job getting the word out quickly about these tax increases. Hopefully, every proposed tax increase on small business this year will be met with the same level of interest and outrage.”
