Tuesday, 19 March 2024
legislationNews

PeopleForBikes urges bike shops to tackle law makers on proposed bike sale tax

Bicycle retailers in Oregon are being encouraged to tackle the state’s lawmakers i relation to a proposal to tax bikes sold for over $500 with a 3 to 5% levy.

PeopleForBikes has published instructions on how to reach local lawmakers and outlined why it’s important that bicycles are excluded from proposals designed to add funding to a local transportation funding package.

“While we support increased investments in infrastructure, the proposed bike tax is an inefficient way to raise new revenue,” said the organisation in a letter sent to stores this week, reports BRaIN. “The bicycle tax will unfairly target locally owned bike shops and will not result in meaningful contributions to Oregon’s bike infrastructure. Lawmakers may advance the bill this week, so we need you to weigh in now.”

A public consultation on the bill, which oddly only applies to bicycles with 26-inch or above sized wheels, is also due this week.

The bill is said to offer a “small nod” to improved cycling infrastructure, but the Oregon Environmental Council describes it as a nonetheless “frustrating” development.