SALEM, Ore. — Loggers, truckers, farmers, and other rural Oregonians turned out in droves at the capitol today to protest HB 2020 and show their support for the walkout.
Fred Simon is a farmer who drove up from Malin.
He says it was overwhelming to see how many working-class Oregonians showed up to protest. As a farmer who runs hay trucks, he burns around 15 to 20,000 gallons of fuel a year.
If the bill passes, it will raise fuel costs in Oregon in the future which Simon says will have a significant effect on his business and livelihood.
“You know, we’re the hard working class,” Simon said. “We put it in 15 to 20 hours days. We don’t go home at five o’clock at night. And that’s the group that’s here right now.”
A Facebook group called “Timber Unity” is organizing the protests. It currently has over 37,000 members.
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