An effort to overturn part of Oregon's $550 million health care tax plan qualified for the ballot on Monday, which means voters will decide whether to keep the taxes in a Jan. 23 special election.
State lawmakers passed the taxes earlier this year to raise money so they could balance the state's Medicaid budget and stabilize the individual insurance market. Oregon's health agency faced a budget gap due to reasons including the long-planned ramp down of federal support for states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Three Republicans in the Oregon House launched an effort to get voters to overturn the taxes, and on Monday they announced their effort gathered more than enough signatures for the referendum to qualify for the ballot. They needed 58,789 and turned in 82,312, according to a press release.
Rep. Julie Parrish, a Republican from West Linn, said that more than 85 percent of signatures turned in turned out to be valid, a record in Oregon. Elections Director Steve Trout confirmed the figures and the signature validity record.
Legislative Revenue Office Paul Warner has estimated that if voters reject the taxes, the state would bring in $210 million less in the current two-year state budget.
-- Hillary Borrud
503-294-4034; @hborrud