For nearly 30 years, the state beer tax has been $2.60 per 31-gallon barrel, or eight-tenths of one-cent per bottle.
(SALEM) - A group of House Republicans wants a nickel-a-beer tax increase to help pay for 300 more state troopers, the Ashland Daily Tidings reported.
Reps. Sal Esquivel of Medford, Brian Boquist of Dallas and Wayne Krieger of Gold Beach want to give the Oregon State Police a dedicated funding source outside of the state's general fund, partly so the department can resume around-the-clock patrols.
"This is not about putting a tax up just to have a tax up," Esquivel told the paper. "It's a matter of preservation of the state police force."
Gov. Ted Kulongoski has proposed that placing a surcharge on auto insurance premiums could pay for 139 new state troopers, a proposal that has not gained traction in the state Legislature.
In recent years, Esquivel said the state police force has "been eroded and eroded to the point that they are almost non-existent."
In 1976, in his Jackson County district, there were 40 troopers; today, there are just 11, he said.
Despite supporting a separate bill backed by the House Republican Caucus to dedicate 1 percent of the general fund to the state police, Esquivel said he is pressing on, even if some in his party are upset that he is proposing a tax increase.
"I am not a bit afraid of doing a beer tax," Esquivel said. "I don't owe the beer industry a thing, they are lobbyists."
For nearly 30 years, the state beer tax has been $2.60 per 31-gallon barrel, or eight-tenths of one-cent per bottle.
Under the bill, a quarter of the estimated $42 million the tax would generate annually would go to fund alcohol rehabilitation and detox programs.
Group of House Republicans Push for Beer TaxSalem-News.com