Measure 17 aims to cut age requirement
The minimum age for a state
senator or representative
would be lowered to 18 if
Ballot Measure 17 passes
Oregon votes 2002
Ken Paulman
Freelance Reporter
In Oregon, 18-year-olds can vote,
pay taxes and enter into a binding le
gal contract. They can run for secre
tary of state, attorney general, state
treasurer, and any number of local
and municipal offices.
If students want to run for the
state Legislature, however, they have
to wait until they’re 21.
Ballot Measure 17 seeks to change
that. If the measure is passed, the Ore
gon Constitution will be amended to
lower the minimum age of a state sen
ator or representative from 21 to 18.
Supporters of the measure say
that a candidate’s age should not be
the sole indicator of their qualifica
tions, and that the decision should
be left to voters.
Measure 17 enjoys unusually wide
spread and bipartisan support, but at
least one group opposes the measure.
“Voting — and being voted for —
are two distinct things,” said Dennis
Tuuri of the Parents’ Education As
sociation. “It’s not logical to equate
voting with holding office.”
The PEA, based in Canbv, is a
Christian political action committee.
According to a statement on the
group’s Web site, “The Bible places
tremendous emphasis on age, matu
rity and wisdom for those given re
sponsibilitv to rule in society.”
Tuuri said that society would not
consider letting an 18-vear-old run
for governor or president, and that
the Legislature should be held to an
equally high standard. A candidate
must be 30 to run for governor of
Oregon and 35 to run for president.
“The people that make the laws
are just as important as the people
"The people that make
the laws are just as
important as the people
that carry them out/'
Dennis Tuuri
Member of the Parents'
Education Association
that carry them out,” he said.
While supporters acknowledge
many 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds may
not be qualified to serve in the Leg
islature, there have been some no
table exceptions.
Derrick Seaver, an 18-year-old
high school senior, was elected to the
Ohio House of Representatives in
November 2000.
Seaver, now 20, has earned a rep
utation as a dedicated public servant
and is highly regarded by his col
leagues, according to an article in
The Columbus Dispatch.
That same year, 19-year-old
Jesse Laslovich won a House seat
in Montana.
According to the Montana Kaimin,
Laslovich, who was a University of
Montana sophomore political sci
ence major at the time, took 65 per
cent of the vote in a three-way pri
mary, then cruised to victory unop
posed in the general election.
Jake Oken-Berg, another young
political hopeful and chair of the Yes
on 17 Committee, was student body
president of Pomona College in Cali
fornia before running unsuccessful
ly in this state for mayor of Portland
at age 20. Oken-Berg said that at
least 20 candidates between the ages
of 18 and 21 have been elected to
state legislatures nationwide.
Oken-Berg said Measure 17 does
not guarantee 18-vear-olds will be
elected, it merely gives them the
right to run for office.
“If a candidate is not qualified,
vote against them,” he said.
Ken Paulman is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
Mark McCambridge Emerald
Sgt. Lynn Brown of the Department of Public Safety answers questions about safe
party procedures at the ASUO-hosted event.
Party safety
continued from page 1
suggestions for students dealing
with authorities. He said stu
dents do not have to admit to
committing a crime, but they
should comply with the process
by giving accurate information
about their identity.
“Do not lie or give false infor
mation,” he said. “Otherwise
you’re meat.”
Complying with police officers
also applies during riot situations,
ASUO Legal Services Director
Ilona Koleszar said. She said if a
riot is occurring, students wanting
to return home have the legal
obligation to comply with police
authorities if asked to clear an
area, whether that means finding
an alternate route or going some
where else.
Koleszar said the best advice
she has for students this
Halloween is to stay away from
large parties that attract police
attention.
EPD Sgt. Kris Martes said if stu
dents are unclear about what the
officer wants from them, they
should ask the officer to clarify
whether they are being detained,
investigated or arrested.
“Students should choose their
battbes wisely,” ASUO Legal
Services staff attorney Laura
Fine said. “There are different
ways to change the way police
conduct their business — other
than arguing with them.”
Martes said students who do
not think they have been treated
properly also can ask for the
officer’s badge number, and offi
cers are required by law to share
this information.
As for the Halloween
response, DPS Lt. Herb Horner
said all the department’s officers
will be on duty and handing out
fliers to students.
The fliers will include informa
tion about events going on in the
community and at the
University. Horner said DPS
wants to encourage students to
partake in fun activities that do
not involve alcohol or drugs.
“Alcohol is a mood-altering
drug and it changes people’s
behavior, and that is why we are
discouraging it,” he said. “We
just want everyone to be safe and
have a good time.”
Contact the reporter
at daniellegillespie@dailyemerald.com.
Affirmative
continued from page 1
just aren’t enough of them,” said
Padoongpatt. “And it isn’t that the
"We want to increase
awareness of the
positive benefits of
affirmative action "
Brenda Sifuentez
OSCC Board Chair
University isn’t looking, it is just
hard because students of color
aren’t put on the University track.”
Participants also called politi
cians state-wide like governor John
Kitzhaber and candidates Kevin
Mannix and Ted Kulongoski.
“We don’t expect them to return
our call,” Sifuentez said. “We sim
ply want to make clear we support
equal access for students and facul
ty, and that there will be a student
voice heard if affirmative action is
threatened.”
Andrew Shipley is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
Selling your ballot?
Ifs more than giving up your right to vote this year...
It's a felony.
Felons:
-Lose access to many public and private forms of financial aid, including grants
and loans.
-Find it difficult to gain employment or admission to undergraduate and graduate
programs.
-Potentially lose die right to vote ever again.
Oregon Lew: 260.718 Sale or pozdiaae of ballot xeptaoaaieat ballot or ballot envelopes proiribctod.lt is unlewM to
nJ1 infill hi wfl fniirifiMfi or nfflhrtn pimTiiinri firinrmfj nr rrftmryfnaHr nnimriilfTirti'Tn mgr irfRiitil Vnlflr*
rcplaoaneDt ballot, return identification envelope or aecney envelope. [1999 c.100296]
VICTC>RY 2002 Peid for by flw Oregon RcpabMcan Party. Fkneccell (503) 96SQ225 to report votorftaod.
f f € | mmm*
“CALIFORNIA WESTERN
offers unique specialty programs,
giving me expertise in my
chosen, area of PRACTICE.”
DEGREfPROGRAMS
Juris Doctor
JD/HBA
JD/MSW
JD/'PhD - History or Political Science
LlM Trial Advocacy
MCL/LLM - Comparative Law
AREAS OF CONCENTRATION
Child, Family, Elder Law
Creative Problem Solving
Criminal Justice
Intellectual Property/Telecommunications Law
International Law
Labor and Employment Law
Ntrssr ON FOCUSED CENTERS
California Innocence Project
Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy
McGill Center for Creative Problem Solving
National Center for Preventive Law
CALIFORNIA WESTERN
fit Of l 0 W
SAN DIEGO
ABA 1 962 AALS 1967
www.CaliforniaWestern.edu