Backers of Oregon's Measure 97, a corporate tax hike, are developing plans for what to do next.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
In the wake of last month's defeat of a proposed corporate tax increase, the union-funded group that sponsored the measure unveiled a new set of revenue-raising proposals Tuesday.
At a state capitol press conference, the coalition known as A Better Oregon said their new plan takes into account some of the "legitimate criticisms of Measure 97."
"You'll see some changes in the measure that reflect some of the things that we heard from voters," said spokeswoman Andrea Paluso.
Among the changes: A lower tax rate on corporations than what Measure 97 proposed. And the tax would only affect businesses with more than $100 million in annual sales.
Paluso said the problem with Measure 97 was the details, not the goal.
"What we heard loud and clear is that voters do want a solution to our budget crisis, that we do believe corporations in Oregon should be paying more," she said.
The proposal could come before lawmakers next year, though backers have not yet identified any legislative supporters.
Some elected officials who supported the tax initiative on November's ballot didn't immediately take a position on the new proposal. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Tina Kotek said the speaker was reviewing the details of the plan.
Chris Pair, who serves as press secretary for Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, said the governor "agrees that Oregon needs stable and adequate revenue for essential services such as education and health care, and she looks forward to reviewing all legislative proposals that meet that standard."
The state's largest business group, Associated Oregon Industries, has also not taken a position on the new proposal. The group was a key part of the business coalition that worked to successfully defeat Measure 97.
Related: Measure 97's Failure Leaves Oregon Facing A Big Budget Deficit
But Preston Mann, a spokesman for the Oregon House Republican caucus, blasted the union-funded group that sponsored the failed initiative.
"Even in the face of an overwhelming defeat, they still have the audacity to stand before Oregonians and demand massive new tax increases," Mann said.
Lawmakers will meet for a five-month legislative session starting in February and will have to patch up a budget gap that's currently around $1.8 billion.
The Better Oregon coalition says its revised corporate tax hike would raise about $4 billion in new revenue for the state during the upcoming biennium. That's lower than the $6 billion in anticipated revenue from Measure 97.
The group is also throwing its support behind a tax on hospitals and insurance companies that was proposed by Brown this month in her spending plan for the upcoming budget cycle.