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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1995)
TW ENTY-THIRD AVENUE BOOKS 1015 NW 2 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97210, (503) 224-5097 local news Taking the initiative , After years of reacting to ballot measures a new group ponders going proactive ▼ Monday-Frtday 9 :3 0 - 8 pm □ Saturday 10 am - 8 pm □ Sunday 11 am - 4 pm A unique family should have a unique financial plan. Specializing in personal and financial planning • • • • Mutual Funds • Education Accounts Life & Disability Insurance • Estate Planning Retirement Plans • Financial Planning for Small Business Benefit Plans Domestic Partners Please call me at ($03) 228-1393 Theodore Fettig The Oregon Group o f Connecticut Mutual Registered Representative 1500 SW First Avenue, Suite 1000, Portland, OR 97201 DAY PASS Good any day of the week All facilities Limit one coupon per person Expires April 30, 1995 Release form required. Aerobics H20 Aerobics Lap Swim Weight Room Cardio Equipment YW CA 1111 SW 10th 294-7420 YWCA of Portland: Continuing to make a difference. A whether to place its own initiative before voters. fter years of reacting to initiatives The OCA is attempting to place initiatives on sponsored by the Oregon Citizens the 1996 ballot. It cost nearly $2 million to defeat Alliance, the head of a new human Ballot Measure 13, and Davis says it could cost as rights group says her organization is much as $4 million to run a proactive and a pondering a proactive measure that reactive would prohibit Oregon’s initiative process from campaign simultaneously. “The advantage of having a counter initiative being used to deny basic human rights to Orego it allows you to feel more positive because nians that are currently guaranteed by is the that state you’re not simply reacting” explains William Bill of Rights. Lunch, political commentator for Oregon Public “It’s certainly not out of the question,” says Broadcasting. “The disadvantage of having your Julie Davis, executive director of Basic Rights own initiative is that you have to get yes votes Oregon, formerly the No on 13 Committee and instead of no votes. If a voter steps into the voting Support Our Communities PAC. No on 13 was booth and sees a series of complicated ballot the most widely recognized organization to cam questions— the way we do here in Oregon— paign against Ballot Measure 13, the proposed they’re likely to become confused. Voters who state constitutional amendment that Oregon vot are confused or uncertain typically vote no be ers rejected last year by a vote of 51 -49 percent; cause it’s safer.” while SOC PAC was created to counter the slew The wording of the draft initiative reads, in of local initiatives targeting gay men and lesbians part: “The initiative power reserved to the that have been considered across the state during people...does not include the power to repeal or the past two years. limit rights and liberties guaranteed by the Or Unlike those short-lived organizations, both egon Bill of Rights.... Those rights and liberties of which were specifically created to defeat par include, but are not limited to, Freedom of Speech, ticular ballot measures, Basic Rights Oregon will Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Religion. be a year-round, long-term operation— much like No ballot title shall be is its nemesis, the OCA, a full sued nor shall an election be time entity that builds sup held on any initiative peti port for its cause during tion if the measure proposed both on and off election c WÈ mèma years. by the petition includes According to its mis matters that fall outside the sion statem en t, B asic scope o f the initiative Rights Oregon strives “to p o w er.” T he in itiativ e build a movement to ad would be a proposed state vance and protect demo constitutional amendment. cratic freedoms and civil A similar measure is and human rights; to build currently being considered the broadest possible coa by state lawmakers. Senate lition to counter the activi Joint Resolution 39, which ties of groups such as the was introduced by Sen. Pe Oregon Citizens Alliance ter Sorenson (D-Eugene), [and] to defeat attempts to would allow the Oregon deny basic rights through Constitution’s Bill of Rights the electoral process.” to be amended only by the Julie Davis “Our goal is to out-educate, out-organize and referendum process, not by the initiative process. out-vote the OCA,” says Davis, who was the An initiative consists of a procedure whereby campaign manager for No on 13. “We intend to do a certain percentage of voters may, by petition, that by connecting with recognized opinion lead propose that a law or constitutional amendment ers in local communities, and by employing a be placed on the ballot for voter approval or house-meeting strategy which will enable us to rejection. This technique circumvents the legisla connect with citizens throughout the state.” ture. A referendum, meanwhile, allows questions Davis says Basic Rights Oregon, which held to be submitted to voters on the judgment o f the its official kick-off earlier this month, recently legislature. Unable to push its measures through sponsored five house meetings in Washington the state Legislature, the OCA has effectively County. An estimated 65 people turned out for the used the state’s initiative process to further its gatherings, at which participants were asked to agenda. However, many believe the OCA has not make a pledge that they will always vote against only used the process but abused it as well. the OCA’s anti-human rights measures. They “It’s essential that the initiative process not be were also asked to pledge financial support to the misused by one group of people attempting to group. take away the basic rights of others. No one’s Davis says because Basic Rights Oregon basic rights should be so vulnerable to a vote,” evolved from No on 13 and SOC-PAC, it has an says Sorenson. “Aside from the obvious moral established donor, volunteer and organizational reasons for SJR 39, Oregon stands to save many base. She hopes to tap into the 20,000-member millions of dollars in what it costs to bring an donor network that contributed to those groups improper initiative to a vote, and then to pay for and mobilize their 5,000 volunteers. She further the court challenges to an initiative intended to says hundreds of religious and community groups, erode the protections guaranteed in the Bill of labor organizations, professional associations, and Rights.” public officials— including Gov. John Kitzhaber To the surprise of some, SJR 39 received a and U.S. Reps. Elizabeth Furse, Ron Wyden and hearing in the Republican-controlled Senate. Fur Peter DeFazio— have already endorsed Basic ther movement on the bill is considered unlikely, Rights Oregon’s overall mission statement. however. One monumental philosophical and strategi For more information about Basic Rights Or cal break from campaigns of the past, however, is egon, call 222-6151. Basic Rights Oregon s serious consideration of r' *""wiTH THIS COUPON” D rop in f o r . .. by Inga Sorensen T R A I '