Oregon Governor Vetoes Lane-Sharing Bill

May 27, 2021

Lane sharing in Oregon was one step closer to becoming a reality after the Oregon House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 574 with a vote of 42 to 14 on May 17. The House vote occurred after the Oregon Senate passed the bill in early May with wide bipartisan support. The passage marks nearly seven years of advocacy work by local Oregon motorcycle organizations and the AMA to educate lawmakers on the bill’s safety, traffic and environmental benefits.

Despite bipartisan support, however, Gov. Kate Brown vetoed the bill on May 26, citing her concerns about safety. Although the Legislature could still override that veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, it’s highly unlikely.

“The AMA is disappointed in Governor Brown for ignoring the will of the Legislature, which passed this bill with broad support,” said the AMA’s Director of Government Relations Michael Sayre. “Despite a veto, we’d like to congratulate advocates in the state who’ve lobbied for years to get this bill to the Governor’s desk, which is farther than lane-filtering legislation has ever gone in Oregon, and the AMA plans to continue to work with Oregon advocates to overcome this final hurdle in the future.”

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