Just hours before it was set to go into effect, Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday signed the bill that makes self-serve gas legal across Oregon. The law goes into effect immediately.
The bill, passed by the legislature in June, was set to expand self-service statewide starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday regardless of Kotek’s signature.
The governor could have vetoed the bill, but announced last week she was not considering that.
She signed the bill around 11:00 a.m. Friday, her office confirmed. That causes it to go into effect right away.
RELATED: Crook County gas attendants prepare for new self-serve reality
Central Oregon Daily News asked Kotek’s office why she signed the bill even though it would have taken effect without her signature. Her office did not respond to that question.
Under the new law, gas stations in 16 counties will need to have 50% of their pumps be self-serve while the others will still have attendants. Those include stations in Deschutes County.
In 20 rural counties, gas stations have the choice to go totally self-serve. Those include Crook and Jefferson counties.
Proponents of the bill say the ban has hurt gas stations struggling with widespread labor shortages. Opponents say it will give many gas station owners a reason to terminate some or all of the workers they have now.
Oregon has had a ban on self-serve gas since 1951. The only other state with such a ban is New Jersey.
