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Gov. Tina Kotek on Tuesday announced she will call legislators into a special session in August in the hopes of passing a transportation funding bill.

The Legislature adjourned June 27 without reaching an agreement on a transportation package. New legislation is needed to avert pending layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, Kotek stated in a news release.

鈥淚 am confident that lawmakers will step up next month to avert these layoffs by approving the necessary funding for the state’s transportation needs,鈥� Kotek said. 鈥淚 appreciate their partnership and am eager to be on the other side of this crisis.鈥�

Kotek said her priority is to deliver needed funding for the state highway trust fund for the 2025-27 biennium.

A funded ODOT budget will halt the pending layoffs and maintain operations at maintenance facilities that are otherwise scheduled to be shuttered, Kotek said. The agency began laying off 483 workers on July 7. But Kotek directed ODOT to postpone the effective date of the layoffs for an additional 45 days.

鈥淭he special session will be focused on critical near-term solutions to stabilize basic functions at ODOT and local governments,鈥� Kotek said. 鈥淭his is just the first step of many that must be taken to meet our state’s long-term transportation needs.鈥�

More layoffs are planned for early 2026 unless the Legislature approves funding, she said.

Recently, a key holdout on the bill, Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, said he would be open to a special session, but that he wants Kotek to agree to repeal a state statute that authorizes tolls on interstates 5 and 205.

Notably, Kotek’s announcement did not address funding for any of Oregon’s mega-projects, such as the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project or the Interstate Bridge replacement and highway expansion project.

The Legislature will reconvene on Aug. 29.