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Good morning, Northwest.
Oregon lawmakers will return to Salem tomorrow for a special session focused on passing a plan to fund roads, bridges, transit and more.
Gov. Tina Kotek has offered a proposal to fill the $300 million gap in ODOT's budget. It includes a provision to make EV drivers chip in 2 cents for every mile they drive to pay for road maintenance.
OPB climate reporter Monica Samayoa starts today's newsletter explaining the "road usage charge'" gas taxes and how they affect Oregon's climate goals.
Also this morning, we have an update on the Flat Fire burning in Central Oregon and six ways to visualize the Labor Day fires of 2020.
The newsletter concludes with a feature on a storied Northwest tradition: tugboat racing.
A new proposal under Gov. Tina Kotek's transportation bill would require EV and plug-in hybrid drivers to enroll in a program that would charge them a per-mile fee, or a "road usage charge," for driving on any Oregon road.
The state says it needs the charge to fill the Oregon Department of Transportation's $300 million budget gap. That gap exists in part due to more people buying EVs -- and no longer paying the state's 40-cent-per-gallon gas tax, which goes toward things like road maintenance.
In testimony, advocates for drivers of gas-powered cars said they support the governor's legislation.
But environmental groups -- and people who already have EVs -- say the governor's current proposal could deter people from driving these vehicles and could significantly slow down emissions reductions from the transportation sector. (Monica Samayoa)
"Think Out Loud" airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today's planned topics (subject to change):
This Labor Day weekend, Olympia's waterfront will host a series of tugboat races on the open water of Budd Inlet at the 51st annual Olympia Harbor Days Festival, a free event that has become a regional tradition since 1974.
The origins of tugboat racing go back to the early days of the Pacific Northwest's bustling maritime economy. In the era when tugboats were the workhorses of the harbor, crews would race to be the first to assist large ships entering port.
The first tug to reach a vessel would earn the job, an important source of income in a fiercely competitive industry.
Over time, the professional rivalry turned into friendly competition in several port cities of Puget Sound, including Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia.
Today, Olympia Harbor Days is the only remaining festival that continues the tradition of tugboat races. (Ian McCluskey)
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