Oregon Gov. Kotek won’t veto ‘pump your own gas’ bill, meaning it should take effect in a week

Her notice of potential vetoes doesn't include measure passed by lawmakers

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ/KGW) — There are currently only two states in the U.S. that don't allow drivers to pump their own gas - Oregon and New Jersey. At some point in the next week, that number will drop to just one, KGW reported Friday.

The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2426 earlier this year to legalize self-service gas statewide, and Gov. Tina Kotek signaled Friday that she intends to let the bill go into effect, either by signing it at some point in the next week or allowing it to become law without her signature when it reaches an Aug. 4 deadline for her to take action.

HB 2426 includes an emergency clause that will make it take effect immediately upon becoming law, which means gas stations throughout Oregon will be free to start offering self-service gas next weekend at the latest, although they're not required to do so. The law will also prohibit them from charging different prices for full service and self service.

Even at stations that choose to offer self-service, the attendants aren't going away; stations will still be required to offer full service on half their pumps, and they can't offer self-service without providing full service at the same time, e.g. a station can't leave the pumps running for self-service overnight unless it's also staffed for full service all night.

The rules are different in certain rural counties, where overnight self-service was legalized by a 2015 law and expanded to a 24/7 option in a 2017 update — although rural stations are still required to offer full service as an option during daytime hours.

The announcement of Kotek's intentions for HB 2426 comes in the form of a planned veto list that her office released on Friday. During a news conference on Thursday, Kotek said the list would include all pending legislation that she intends to veto before the Aug. 4 deadline, so the gas bill's absence from the list confirms that she doesn't intend to block it.

Friday's confirmation comes after weeks of speculation and questions about the future of the bill following the end of the legislative session in June. Kotek's office previously declined to indicate which way the governor was leaning on the bill, and said she was still evaluating a large amount of mixed feedback about the bill from constituents.

Self-serve gas is a contentious topic in Oregon; voters have previously weighed in and opted to stick with mandatory full service, but more recent polls have suggested that public opinion may have shifted to favor adding a self-serve option. Kotek's office said it received a large amount of feedback about HB 2426 in the past month that showed Oregonians are still closely split on the issue.

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Here's Gov. Kotek's Friday notice of her potential vetoes:

Governor Kotek Issues Notice of Potential Vetoes

Final decisions will be made by August 4
Salem, OR — Today, pursuant to Article V, section 15b, of the Oregon Constitution, Governor Tina Kotek provided notice to the Legislature that she is considering vetoes of a handful of policy bills and budget items from the 2023 legislative session.

“My commitment to Oregonians is that I will dig into the details and ask hard questions to make sure our state government is delivering results,” Governor Kotek said. “Over the last month, my team and I have been thoroughly reviewing every bill, agency budget, and appropriation. While I understand and support the intent behind several of the items I’m considering vetoing, I am weighing concerns about implementation and budget prioritization.”

Governor Kotek has provided notice of possible veto on the following items. She will announce final decisions by Friday, August 4.

Policy Bills

• HB 2079: Requires the Legislative Revenue Officer (LRO) to study potentially implementing a tax credit and direct grant program to encourage preservation of historic property. Reason for possible objection: The Governor believes studies such as this can and should be done without statutory direction.
• HB 2763: Creates the State Public Bank Task Force to study and make recommendations regarding the establishment of a state public bank. Reason for possible objection: While the Governor supports exploring the creation of a state bank, this bill has several logistical challenges, including directing the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD), which already manages over 80 programs, to manage a new task force, establish an RFP process, and finalize a substantive report on an abbreviated timeline.
• SB 1095 (line-item veto of emergency clause): Adjusts membership of certain boards and commissions whose governing body membership is based on congressional districts now that Oregon has a sixth congressional district. Reason for possible objection: Removing the emergency clause will allow for the additional time needed to recruit and vet additional members to the impacted boards and commissions.

Line-Item Budget Vetoes

• SB 5506, Section 32: $100,000 to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) for a study on the advantages and disadvantages of decriminalizing prostitution. Reason for possible objection: While there is value to this study, particularly as it relates to understanding disproportionate impacts on communities of color, the Governor believes it can and should be privately funded.
• SB 5506, Section 74: $250,000 to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for distribution to Cherriots in order to collaborate with state agencies and other entities to study the feasibility of developing a rail streetcar system in the City of Salem. Reason for possible objection: The Governor does not believe this study is a top priority for the state at this time.
• SB 5506, Section 300: $500,000 to the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Public Health to perform a public health study on the effects of current laws and policies on people in the sex trade in the state of Oregon. Reason for possible objection: While there is value to this study, particularly as it relates to understanding disproportionate impacts on communities of color, the Governor believes it can and should be privately funded.
• SB 5506, Section 312: $1 million to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for distribution to the Willamette Career Academy to fund regional career and technical education programs provided by the Willamette Career Academy. Reason for possible objection: The Governor supports career and technical education programs, but technically the funding should be distributed through a local school district or education service district.