Statesman Journal
The Oregon Supreme Court handed down a decision Thursday that requires the proponents of a right-to-work ballot initiative to rewrite the ballot title that Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum originally approved.
The initiative title, sponsored by attorney Jill Gibson Odell, currently says, “BALLOT TITLE: Prohibits compulsory payment of union representation costs by public employees choosing not to join union.”
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Controversy is growing as a special election about a Keizer building-cap initiative draws near. First, Keep Keizer Livable, the group that put the city initiative on the March 8 ballot, filed a complaint with the Oregon secretary of state against the city of Keizer and the city attorney this month. Then, Keizer Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday that its board opposes the measure.
A petition turn-in and barbeque potluck Oct. 17 will be the final push for Keep Keizer Livable’s campaign for a controversial city initiative. The group has until Oct. 19 to gather 2,739 signatures of registered voters living in Keizer to be able to place the initiative on the March 8 ballot. But, the group is turning in the petition at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Keizer Civic Center, 930 Chemawa Road NE. As of last week, the group needed 500 more John Hancocks.
Supporters of a ballot measure to take redistricting responsibilities away from the Legislature have sued the Oregon secretary of state, claiming that rules for checking petition signatures are too restrictive. One of the authors of the measure, Kevin Mannix, claims that signature-checking rules for the petition are far more restrictive than required by state law. The lawsuit alleges the rules adopted by Secretary of State Kate Brown deem signatures invalid if petition sheets aren’t properly filled out.
Steve Doell has seen people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs again and again throughout the years. He has talked to the families of people who’ve been killed in impaired-driving crashes. He wants to know why DUI convicts are given so many chances. “Why should you ever get another chance when you continue to be repetitive? It’s ludicrous,” said Doell, the president of Oregon Crime Victims United. “We should have incremental increases in our punishment cycle for these people. In Oregon, its not really like three strikes you’re out. It’s like five strikes and you’re out.”
As they opened their one-month session Monday, majority Democrats and minority Republicans in the Oregon Legislature still disagree about a lot of things. But they agree that tending to the state’s economy ”” and the families affected by one of the deepest downturns since the Great Depression 80 years ago ”” is Job One.
Measure 24-292’s chief petitioners Rick Stucky, a former Salem City Council president, and Rick Kimball, a member of Salem-Keizer School Board, will speak at the Wednesday Marion County Democrats’ DemoForum. The event is at noon at Kwan’s Cuisine, 835 Commercial St. SE, Salem. Measure 24-292 will be on the May primary ballot. It asks voters to adopt a home-rule charter for Marion County. Kimball and Stucky will explain the provisions of the measure and present arguments for voting “Yes” on the measure.
Service Employees International Union Local 503 is urging members to vote yes for Ballot Measures 66 and 67 on Jan. 26. Measure 66 would increase taxes for Oregon households making more than $250,000 annually. Measure 67 increases the corporate minimum tax from $10 a year to $150 a year.
Currently there are three, at-large, partisan county commissioners. A local group wants to change that to five nonpartisan county commissioners, who would be elected by district. The Marion County initiative is being proposed within a charter, which would be like a constitution for the county. The constitution could give the county more say in county issues.