FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday July 3, 2009                                                    

SIGN THE BILLS GOVERNOR AND LET OREGONIANS VOTE

PORTLAND, Ore. –  This morning Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bob Tiernan sent Governor Ted Kulongoski a letter urging him to sign HB 2649 and HB 3405, the massive income and business tax increases passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature this session.  The letter is attached.

By delaying signing these bills into law, Governor Kulongoski is reducing the time that citizens have to gather the necessary signatures to refer these bills to the ballot.  Under the Oregon Constitution, citizens have 90 days from the time the Legislature adjourns to gather signatures to refer measures to the ballot.  However, if Governor Kulongoski continues to delay and not sign the bills, Oregonians could be left with as few as 50 days to gather the signatures.

Oregon Republican Chairman Bob Tiernan said, “On behalf of all Oregonians and their rights as defined by the Oregon Constitution, I urge Governor Kulongoski to sign these bills.  The Democratic-controlled Legislature made these pieces of legislation a priority during the most recent session – you owe the people of Oregon that same priority in signing them into law.”

When the Oregon Legislative Assembly adjourned Sine Die Monday evening at 9:45 PM, all legislation that had been passed during the session went to Governor Kulongoski’s desk to be signed into law.  As of this morning, those bills are still sitting on the Governor’s desk burning up valuable time in an effort to disadvantage citizen efforts to refer the taxes to the voters in a special election.

Today marks the fourth full day that Governor Kulongoski has had the bills to sign.

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