2008 initiatives: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly are all there

By Sen. Richard Devlin

, Sep 18, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

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In 1902, Oregon was identified as being one of the most progressive and politically enlightened states in the nation. That year the Oregon electorate approved a constitutional amendment that created the initiative and referendum system known as the “Oregon System.” This system allows the people to propose new laws, amend the state constitution, and pass judgment on legislative enactments.

In the upcoming November election there will be eight initiatives on the ballot. If passed, many of these initiatives could have a profound impact on the state. I categorize these initiatives as “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

Measure 65 appeals to many but I hesitate to place it in the “good” category. Measure 65 creates an open primary election in Oregon. The May primary would become a contest among all candidates. The November election would be a run off between the top two primary finishers. In theory the measure will lead to less partisan elections and participation should increase since all voters are able to participate in the primary. Others argue that an open primary would select the final two candidates when voter participation is lower and deny minor political parties any meaningful participation in the process.

Kevin Mannix is the sponsor of the two “bad” initiatives. Measure 61 is just another one-size-fits-all gimmick that establishes specific prison sentences for some property crimes, without addressing the root cause of most property crime, drug use. In response to M61 the Legislature, along with law enforcement from across the state proposed a better crime measure, Measure 57. In addition to the question of effectiveness, Measure 61 is far more costly than Measure 57, costing between $410 and $485 million per biennium. By comparison, the legislative-referred measure M57 will cost approximately $170 million per biennium.

Measure 62 is another “bad” measure. This measure would divert 15 percent of lottery proceeds to a new public safety fund. The major concern with this measure is that these funds are already allocated to education and economic development efforts. If enacted the measure could shift more than $200 million a biennium from our public schools. If we care about our children’s future we cannot afford the funding shift proposed by Measure 62.

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