Shafer is poised to fight proposed tax
By Terry Murry on Friday, January 3rd, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer says it will be tough to get the Oregon Legislature to the table to seek compromises during the 2025 session. He said one thing that worries him is talk of a proposed tax on home deliveries. He says such a tax would place a burden on some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.
“For somebody who has mobility issues and who might be confined to their residence, they rely on those delivery services,” he said. “Not only is that a fragile population, but it’s also low income.”
Shafer said he will have a bit more clout in Salem and will be spending time there during the session. He was recently installed as the president of the Oregon Association of Counties. He said with a super majority in each house, the Republican party can no longer use walk outs to defeat or moderate proposed legislation.
“I’ll be spending a lot of my time lobbying with our legislators trying to – as I’ve heard people say in the past – make bad legislation not as bad as it could be,” he said. “You’ve got to be in the room if you want to make a change, make a difference by having that seat at the table.”
