The Oregon Senate has once again delayed its final vote on a proposal to raise transportation taxes and fees that had been expected to take place Wednesday.

The package, crafted chiefly by Gov. Tina Kotek, is tailored to prevent widespread breakdowns across Oregon’s state and local road networks and avert severe cuts to public transit services.

Senate Democrats said they now plan to hold a vote on the package at the earliest on Sept. 29, giving Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, more time to recover from back surgery. It takes 18 votes in each chamber to pass a tax hike, so Senate Democrats need all 18 of their members to show up to pass the bill.

Gorsek’s medical team told Senate President Rob Wagner, a Lake Oswego Democrat, that it would be “medically unsafe” for him to leave the hospi

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