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Both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly this week passed a comprehensive $5.3 billion 聽that could generate thousands of construction jobs and relief to congested Portland-area streets.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday and the Senate Thursday in the waning hours of this year’s odd-year long legislative session.

House Bill 2017 approves new funding mechanisms for raising $5.3 billion, a figure significantly smaller than the original $8 billion target. Included are controversial methods like toll financing for congested stretches of Portland freeways, big hikes in vehicle registration fees and a 10-cent increase in the gas tax. It would provide rebates for electric vehicle purchases and include $100 million to develop transit around Oregon.

The House approved the bill 39-20 and the Senate, 22-7. The passage was the culmination of a two-year process involving a bipartisan, bicameral legislative commission and information and input gathering around the state.

Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, said he voted no because of the subsidy for electric car purchases 鈥� a 鈥淭esla tax鈥� as he called it 鈥� and it sets a bad precedent by creating a new statewide payroll tax, and because of concerns he has with the accountability and transparency of the Oregon Department of Transportation.

鈥淚 certainly think Oregon is long overdue to improve our transportation infrastructure, but this is just the wrong way to do it,鈥� he said.

Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, opposed the bill in part because it favors the Portland area over rural Oregon, he explained on his Facebook page.

鈥淭he bill passed 39-20, so my vote wouldn’t have made one bit of difference, instead, I stood for YOUR wallet and for accountability from a state agency,鈥� he wrote.

Because the bill prescribed methods for raising revenue, passage required three-fifths of the House to vote yes.