FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anthony Smith, NFIB Oregon State Director, anthony.smith@nfib.org
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org

SALEM, Ore., May 20, 2026—From Anthony Smith, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Oregon.

“Oregonians are tired of politicians promising to fix things with tax increases – then failing time and again to deliver results. Until voters are confident that their elected leaders are prioritizing the most basic functions of government – and getting a good return on those investments – Oregonians will continue to reject tax increases at the ballot box.”

In legislative testimony against House Bill 3991, which included the transportation tax and fee increases voters rejected in the May 19 election, Smith told members of the Special Session Committee on Transportation Funding that, “For small businesses, the cost pressures of transportation fuel far outweigh challenges relating to transportation infrastructure. The 6-cent per gallon tax increase proposed by HB 3991 would add to that pressure significantly …

“There is broad agreement across the political spectrum that transportation is a legitimate purpose for spending taxpayer dollars, but the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been plagued by financial mismanagement and has repeatedly failed to deliver on promises the Legislature made to Oregonians in 2017. ODOT should be held accountable and earn back the trust of Oregonians before being entrusted with new revenue, especially when transportation-related cost pressures are an increasing challenge for small businesses.”

NFIB Oregon launched digital ads and a landing page aimed at educating voters on the urgent need to vote no on Ballot Measure 120 in the May Primary Election. The Power of the Small Business Voice is one of the most effective in the nation.

Keep up with the latest Oregon small business news at www.nfib.com or on X at @NFIB_OR

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For over 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since its founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

National Federation of Independent Business
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