Bills to destroy the Oregon initiative power suddenly up for hearing on Monday morning in the Oregon Legislature

[Dan Meek]

Campaign finance reformers depend on the initiative power in order to accomplish anything.

There are two bills suddenly up for hearing at 8 am on Monday, March 10.  Each would refer to voters a measure that would destroy the initiative power in Oregon.  Both of them would grant the voters of eastern Oregon veto power over all initiatives.

Please file testimony opposing these bills at:

• https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Testimony/HRULES/HJR/3/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures
  
  
• https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Testimony/HRULES/HJR/11/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures

Please sign up to testify on these bills by going here and clicking on Register to Testify in the menu structure:

• https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Testimony/HRULES/HJR/3/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures
  
  
• https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Testimony/HRULES/HJR/11/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures

Here is brief info about them:

HJR 3 oppose	3/10 Reps. Levy B, Diehl, Reschke, Wright Senators Nash, Weber (all Rs)	HJR 3 would require that the current signature requirements (basically 6% of voters for statutory measure and 8% of voters for constitutional amendment measure) be met in each of Oregon's 37 counties, thus giving Wheeler County or Sherman County (etc.) veto over all statewide ballot measures. It also has a phony "eye candy" provision that prohibits anyone who is not an Oregon voter from making any contributions to support or oppose ballot measures in Oregon "to the extent limitations on contributions described in this subsection are permitted under the Constitution of the United States." The United States Supreme Court has never allowed limits on contributions to support or oppose ballot measures. It has consistently struck down all such limits since 1978 by decisive majorities. This provision was added so that the ballot title would say "limits campaign contributions," when in fact it would not limit campaign contributions--because they would get struck down immediately.
HJR 11 oppose	3/10 R Reps. Owens, Levy B, Diehl, Scharf, Yunker D Reps. Evans, Lively, Sanchez R Senator Nash	HJR 11 would dramatically increase the signatures required for initiatives. It would raise the requirement for statutory measures by 33% and for constitutional measures by 25%. And it would require that those new requirements be met separately in every congressional district. That gives eastern Oregon's CD 2 a veto over all statewide ballot measures. Note that its sponsors include 3 Democrats. It is already so difficult to gather enough signatures that only 2 statewide initiatives qualified for the ballot in 2024, and one of them had union money behind it.

Dan Meek ⚖

503-293-9021📞

d...@meek.net

503-334-2234 fax