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OBA Lays Out Positions on Important Ballot Measures

As you well know, this is a critical election year. We’ll make important choices at both the national and state level.

Oregon voters will play an important role in shaping policies and funding decisions that will impact Oregon’s schools and businesses, as well as healthcare and public safety. That’s because this year, Oregon voters will consider numerous ballot measures, many of which would significantly reduce the state’s investments in the programs we support and cause lasting harm to communities across Oregon.

With so much at stake, the Oregon Business Association has taken positions on many of these ballot measures. We are supporting Measures 56, 57 and 65 but urge a No vote on Measures 59, 60, 61 and 62. These measures threaten a viable future for our state at a time when Oregon families and businesses are really feeling the squeeze.

Here are a few quick facts on the measures:

Measure 56 would restore fairness to Oregon’s local elections by ensuring that measures are passed by the majority of people who actually vote. Right now, if less than 50 percent of registered voters vote on a local measure—like a school levy—that measure automatically fails. This means that non-voters cancel out the votes of voters. Measure 56 ensures that local measures are decided by people who vote, not people who don’t.

Measure 59 would cut $2.4 billion in funding for education, health care, senior services and public safety. This measure would allow an unlimited deduction of federal tax on the state income tax returns. But more than 75 percent of Oregonians wouldn’t save more than a dollar. Oregonians have twice before defeated this measure – business, organized labor, service providers, seniors and others built coalitions to defeat nearly identical measures in 2000 and 2006.

Measure 60 requires that teacher’s salaries be based on undefined “classroom performance” rather than experience, seniority, or even cost-of-living raise adjustments. This measure would lead to more standardized testing and take local control away from the parents and teachers who know their kids best. And it would punish teachers who take on the most challenging assignments. That’s not the kind of change Oregon’s schools need right now.

Measure 62 would amend the constitution to permanently divert millions of dollars from schools. If Measure 62 were in effect right now, schools would lose more than $90 million a year. Measure 62 also diverts money from job creation programs. Now is not the time to be taking money from programs designed to strengthen Oregon’s economy. We strongly support investments in public safety, but not at the cost of educating Oregon’s kids or our workforce.

Measure 65 will help make sure all Oregon voters can vote in every election. Right now, 25% of all registered voters in Oregon are completely shut out from participating in partisan primary elections. They don’t have a voice and they don’t have a vote. An Open Primary would change that so everyone could vote in every election, regardless of party registration. It would also allow voters to cross party lines to vote for the candidate they think is best suited for the job and reduce extreme partisanship in Oregon.

Finally, two measures on the ballot are tackling crime – 57 and 61 – but only one deserves a Yes vote. Yes on Measure 57 is the better way to fight crime because it toughens sentences for big-time drug trafficking, crimes against the elderly, identity theft and property crimes, and stops the revolving door of justice by requiring addiction treatment. It’s a much better use of state dollars and a sharp contrast to the costly and failing one-size-fits-all approach of Measure 61, which would require the state to build three new prisons in addition to Oregon’s existing 14 prisons. And Measure 61 would cost $300 million more per biennium than Measure 57. That’s why we’re supporting a No vote on Measure 61.

It’s not overstating it to say that this November, the state’s financial health is at risk. As an organization invested in education and jobs, and in building a better state economy, we urge you to lend your voice and your vote to these measures.

Please check out the Defend Oregon website for more information and volunteer opportunities: www.defendoregon.org.
And to contribute on-line please go to https://www.c-esystems.com/defendoregon/donation.aspx.