Washington Democrats had proposed a 6-cent-per-gallon tax on fuel exported from the state. Nearly 40% of the fuel processed in Washington refineries goes to other states, primarily Oregon.

SALEM — Oregon gasoline stations are officially free to let drivers pump their own gas.

Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 2426 into law Friday, Aug. 4, reversing a decades-old ban on self-serve gasoline that set Oregon apart from nearly every other state. She was expected to issue a signing letter with commentary on the new law, but the letter was not immediately available.

Kotek previously expressed ambivalence about the policy approved by the Oregon Legislature and asked Oregonians to weigh in before she decided whether to sign or veto the bill. She later told reporters she received emails from thousands of Oregonians in response.

The law will allow gas station owners statewide to open some unattended pumps, permitting drivers to pump their own gas and skip the wait for an attendant if they choose. It still requires stations to staff at least half of their open pumps for people who want or need assistance, such as elderly drivers or those with disabilities.

Prices must be the same at both self-serve and staffed gas pumps.

Fuel companies have claimed they won’t lay off employees in response to the new law because of ongoing staff shortages that have stretched their attendant crews thin.

The bill had bipartisan support, but it’s long been one of Oregon’s most polarizing issues. While some drivers have pushed for the chance to skip the wait and fill up their own tanks, others have argued that the state should maintain the convenience of full-service gas stations — and the jobs of attendants.

In 2021, 60% of Oregonians polled said they were in favor of self-serve gas. And in 2022, lawmakers introduced a similar bill, which died before reaching a vote.

Some rural and coastal Oregon counties legalized self-serve gas at night starting in 2015. And every summer since 2020, Oregon has temporarily allowed self-serve gas due to heat waves and wildfires. The new law will simplify all those rules, legalizing self-serve gas everywhere in Oregon.