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Wednesday, July 20, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Proposals headed for November ballot
By kristena hansen
Associated Press
PORTLAND (AP) —
Citizen groups have handed
the final signatures for bal-
lot initiatives to the Oregon
Secretary of State, which has
until early August to deter-
mine which proposals make
the cut for the November
ballot.
So far, only one proposal
— the Initiative Petition 28
corporate tax measure — has
made the ballot, while five
others are pending as the state
verifies signatures.
Five are statutory initia-
tives, which amend state law
and therefore can be changed
any time; one is a consti-
tutional initiative, which
amends the state Constitution
and therefore requires voter
approval for any changes
thereafter. Statutory initiatives
require 88,184 valid signa-
tures and constitutional initia-
tives require 117,578.
Here’s a summary of the
citizen proposals:
IP 28: A Better Oregon:
Raises an estimated $3 billion
in additional tax revenue each
year broadly earmarked for
public education, health care
and senior services through
the largest corporate tax hike
in Oregon history. The state’s
largest 1,000 businesses reg-
istered as C-corporations with
at least $25 million in annual
sales would pay a minimum
Eyebrows
looking
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$30,000 tax, plus a so-called
gross receipts tax of 2.5 per-
cent on any sales above that
threshold.
As one of five states with-
out a sales tax and some of
the nation’s lowest corpo-
rate taxes, Oregon’s tax base
depends heavily on personal
income. IP 28’s public union-
backers say a tax hike on big
business would make things
more equitable and help
restore some of the recession-
era funding cutbacks to key
public services. Businesses
say it’d deal a blow to the
local economy and consumer
prices, while conservative
lawmakers call it a “blank
check” to the government.
Who’s behind it: Our
Oregon, a political advo-
cacy nonprofit mostly funded
by public employee unions;
$338,100 raised, mostly from
Our Oregon, which hasn’t
disclosed the sources of its
contributions
Signatures pending
IP 65: Oregonians For High
School Success: Diverts $140
million of annual state funds,
or $800 per high school stu-
dent, to a newly created fund
for high school career and
technical education. Requires
schools to submit plans for rel-
evant programs and funding to
the state education department
and specifies how to measure
performance and hold educa-
tors accountable.
Oregon has one of the
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nation’s worst high school
graduation rates, and the ini-
tiative’s supporters want to
turn that around by boosting
vocational programs, which
often appeal to students who
aren’t bound for a four-year
university and incentivize
them to stay in school. Critics
such as the Oregon Education
Association, among the big-
gest backers of IP 28, say it’s
a “one-size-fits-all” solution
that places a bandage over a
broader problem.
Who’s behind it: Stand for
Children, a national education
reform nonprofit partly sup-
ported by the Walton family
and Bill and Melinda Gates;
$4.2 million raised, mostly
from Stand for Children,
which hasn’t disclosed the
sources of its contributions
IP 50: Voter Privacy Act:
Bans the release of a registered
voter’s personal information
without their written consent.
Currently, Oregon voters’
personal data — such as birth
dates, email addresses and
phone numbers — and infor-
mation on whether they’ve
received or mailed in their
ballots ahead of Election Day
are public information. The
initiative’s supporters want to
limit the information avail-
able to political campaigns,
while critics such as public
union SEIU Local 503 say
it’d dampen ongoing efforts to
boost voter turnout.
Who’s behind it: Richard
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and Libertarian party member;
$167,300 raised, largely from
the Taxpayers Association of
Oregon
IP 49: No More Fake
Emergencies Act: Requires a
two-thirds supermajority vote
by the Oregon Legislature in
order to include emergency
clauses on bills.
Emergency clauses accel-
erate a bill’s effective date —
usually 90 days after signing
into law — and subsequently
prevent citizens from chal-
lenging it by referendum. IP
49 backers say the clauses are
being overused by the Oregon
Legislature, where more than
half of the bills had emergency
provisions last year.
Who’s behind it: Eric
Winters, a Wilsonville attor-
ney, and Jason Williams, exec-
utive director of the Taxpayer
Association of Oregon;
$562,400 raised, largely from
the Taxpayers Association.
IP 68: Save Endangered
Animals: Makes it illegal to
buy or sell parts and products
made from 12 wildlife spe-
cies in Oregon, such as chee-
tahs, elephants and sea turtles.
Includes exceptions for certain
antique items and tribal mem-
bers, among others.
It’s already illegal in the
U.S. to import endangered
animal parts and products,
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but there’s no law in Oregon
banning sales and purchases
of items already smuggled
into the country. IP 68’s back-
ers say Oregon would fol-
low states such as California,
Hawaii and Washington state
that have passed similar bans
on animal parts.
Who’s behind it: U.S. Rep.
Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland;
former GOP state Sen. Bruce
Starr; Metro Council President
Tom Hughes; $520,500 raised,
largely from the Humane
Society
IP 67: Outdoor School
for All: Gives fifth-or sixth-
graders in Oregon one week
of outdoor education by set-
ting aside 4 percent of lottery
funds not to exceed $22 mil-
lion annually.
Outdoor School has been
a Portland-area tradition
since the 1960s that’s funded
by nearby school districts,
although has struggled with
financial stability in recent
years. Lawmakers expanded
outdoor education statewide
last year, but without funding.
IP 67’s backers are therefore
eyeing lottery revenue, which
critics say is already limited.
Who’s behind it: Save
Outdoor School For All, a
grassroots coalition of outdoor
advocates, parents and educa-
tors; $61,500 raised, mostly
from the coalition.
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