Failed transportation package causes a traffic jam in Salem

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SALEM – When the supermajority in the Oregon House of Representatives couldn’t find the votes to pass its hefty transportation package, Democrats put on the brakes and adjourned the 2025 session of the Oregon Legislature. As a result, several bills that had bipartisan support were left without ever being brought for a vote.

“Unfortunately, what happened was there was so much focus on the transportation bill that went nowhere that a lot of good bills didn’t move forward,” Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer, the president of the Oregon Association of Counties, said.

Shafer said two bills in particular were heavily lobbied for by the Board of Commissioners. Board Chairwoman Cindy Timmons was deeply invested in the establishment of a state CARE program while Commissioner Dan Dorran invested a huge amount of time and energy supporting a small modular reactor (SMR) test market in Umatilla County, which would require voter approval before it could happen.

CARE is a support system operating in Umatilla County to help at-risk children with a number of issues in their lives. It’s a joint effort involving the county, InterMountain Education Service District, and the Athena-Weston, Echo, Helix, Hermiston, Milton-Freewater, Pendleton, Pilot Rock, Stanfield, Ukiah, and Umatilla school districts.

The small modular reactors are a potential new source of power that Dorran believes will help meet the growing energy needs, particularly due to data centers and other industries. The bill specifically would allow for a demonstration project in Umatilla County if voters approve it.

Shafer said support for both bills was strong enough for him to believe they will be brought back in the 2026 short session of the Oregon Legislature.

“That didn’t mean they died,” he said of the failure to get to the floor. “I’d say they are just simmering.”