Oregonians for Sound Fuel Policy Issues Statement After Oregon House passes SB 324

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - Mar 4, 2015) - Oregonians for Sound Fuel Policy released the following statement after the Oregon House of Representatives voted today to expand a Low Carbon Fuel Standard in Oregon:

"This afternoon the Oregon House of Representatives voted to approve Senate Bill 324. This bill will extend and enable Oregon's experimental Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) beyond its current Dec. 31, 2015, sunset date. The bill now moves to the desk of Oregon Governor Kate Brown for her consideration.

"SB 324, if signed into law, could increase fuel costs for Oregon businesses and consumers. SB 324 acts like a hidden gas tax that will take money away from working Oregonians and Oregon families. SB 324 will serve to transfer most of those hard-earned resources to energy credit traders, brokers, and out-of-state corporations. The costs extracted from Oregonians by SB 324 will do nothing to improve Oregon's beleaguered roads and bridges. While any carbon reduction in Oregon from the bill will be negligible at best, and likely unmeasurable.

"Given the damage that the bill would cause to family incomes and economic prosperity in Oregon, OSFP strongly encourages Governor Brown to veto SB 324. We request that Governor Brown take a clear and thoughtful look at the damaging policy and program implications of LCFS. We are hopeful that Governor Brown will choose to protect Oregon families by saying 'NO' to SB 324.

"OSFP is deeply disappointed with the outcome of today's events in the Oregon House. In the face of evidence demonstrating the fallacies of LCFS, and despite extensive and meticulously researched floor testimony in opposition to SB 324, the Oregon House still passed the bill on a partisan basis. The final vote count on SB 324 was 31-29. The bipartisan 'NO' votes on SB 324 included all 25 House Republicans and 4 House Democrats, including Rep. Jeff Barker, Rep. Debbie Boone, Rep. Caddy McKeown and Rep. Brad Witt."

About Oregonians for Sound Fuel Policy:

Oregonians for Sound Fuel Policy is a coalition of fuel users, consumers and business organizations opposed to the adoption of the proposed Low Carbon Fuel Standard, or LCFS. For more information, visit www.OregonFuelPolicy.com.