Oregon Self-Serve Bill Doused
SALEM, Ore. -- A measure to allow self-service gasoline pumps in Oregon appears all but dead for another legislative session.
The bill went back to a House committee this week at the request of its sponsor, Rep. Randy Miller (R-West Linn), the Associated Press reported.
Miller, who acknowledged there were only about half of the 31 House votes needed to pass the bill, has tried for more than a decade to repeal the ban on self-service gasoline sales.
Only Oregon and New Jersey prohibit self-service stations. Oregon voters rejected a self-serve measure in 1982.
Miller said while self-service foes are vocal, a survey he conducted indicated about six of 10 people support the bill after being told it would require attendants to pump gas for disabled people and motorists 55 and older.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski had said he was concerned about job losses the measure might cause, and the Oregon AFL-CIO lobbied against the bill. The labor federation estimated that 7,600 service station attendant jobs, at average pay of $8.21 an hour, would be eliminated under self-service.
The organization said the estimate is based on the national ratio of gas station attendants to total employment and on job numbers from the state Employment Department.
The bill went back to a House committee this week at the request of its sponsor, Rep. Randy Miller (R-West Linn), the Associated Press reported.
Miller, who acknowledged there were only about half of the 31 House votes needed to pass the bill, has tried for more than a decade to repeal the ban on self-service gasoline sales.
Only Oregon and New Jersey prohibit self-service stations. Oregon voters rejected a self-serve measure in 1982.
Miller said while self-service foes are vocal, a survey he conducted indicated about six of 10 people support the bill after being told it would require attendants to pump gas for disabled people and motorists 55 and older.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski had said he was concerned about job losses the measure might cause, and the Oregon AFL-CIO lobbied against the bill. The labor federation estimated that 7,600 service station attendant jobs, at average pay of $8.21 an hour, would be eliminated under self-service.
The organization said the estimate is based on the national ratio of gas station attendants to total employment and on job numbers from the state Employment Department.