Oregon has no limitations on campaign contributions or expenditures, one of only 3 states in that condition.

That was not always been the case.  In 1996, Oregon through the initiative process enacted CFR only to have the Oregon Supreme Court throw the measure out.  They said such laws were a violation of free speech.  And since that time campaigns have gotten more and more expensive.  Corporations have pushed up the total reported spending on political races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to $49 million in 2002.

And the voice of the people has been replaced by the voice of special interests. Special interests like Enron.  Special interests like Big Pharma.  Special interests that give away our tax revenues in the form of tax "credits" to multinational corporations.  Special interests like the Oregon Restaurant Associations - in 2004, the Oregon Lottery Commission disregarded its own study, showing that Canadian provinces pay video poker outlets commissions of 15% of the money taken in, instead of the 32% paid in Oregon. So video poker parlors get to keep an extra $85 million per year that should be going to schools. Why? The Commission answers to the politicians, and the Oregon Restaurant Association contributed over $1.2 million to them in the last 3 elections.

In 2005-6, we fought back!

For the Nov. 2006 Oregon ballot, two initiatives for Campaign Finance Reform were qualified.  One of those is a single line constitutional amendment (Initiative 46).  The other is a statute which puts in place the limitations which are missing today (Petition #47).

Initiative 46- a constitutional amendment

Initiative #46 was very simple - a single sentence:  "Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, the people through the initiative process, or the Legislative Assembly by a three-fourths vote of both Houses, may enact and amend laws to prohibit or limit contributions and expenditures, of any type or description, to influence the outcome of any election."

This single sentence would have given the people the right to enact limitations on campaign contributions and expenditures.  It would have placed that right in the Oregon Constitution where it would have been protected from the Oregon Supreme Court.  It would also have been protected from the legislature.  The legislature would have been allowed to enact such laws as well but only with a super majority.  In 2004, in Ohio, the legislature changed the campaign finance laws to increase the amount which  an individual could donate four fold from $2,500 to $10,000.  Most people do not come close to making a contribution of $2,500.  Increasing it is only benefits special interests, interests seeking special benefits from elected officials.  In Ohio that change in law happened with a simple majority vote; in Oregon a super majority of 3/4 vote would have been required.  (Note that this single sentence would have allowed changes the laws regarding both candidate campaigns and initiative campaigns.  Initiative #47, the second initiative, addresses candidate campaigns only). (Read the statement of support from the Sierra Club).

Initiative #47 - a statute

Initiative 47 was a statute and much more complex.  In broad outline, it:
            O  Banned all corporate and union contributions
            O  Limited individual contributions.  Those limits were
                    O  $500 per election period (primary + General); $100 for all other offices
                    O  Aggregate contributions from individuals to all candidates and committees are limited to $2500/year.
            O  Limited contributions by political committees and political parties to candidates.
            O  Allowed formation of Small Donor Committees.  These committees could accept contributions of no more than $50.00 per individual member per year.  They would have allowed to spend that money on candidate elections however they like.  Membership organizations (think Sierra Club, for instance or labor unions) would have been allowed to form SDCs and then transfer up to $50/member to the SDC.
            O  Limited amount a  candidate could contribute to his/her our campaign to at most $50,000 per election period campaigns for statewide office; $10,000 for all other offices.  Non-incumbents can increase this limit by 50%.
            O  Permited independent expenditures only by the sources above and limited to $10,000 per individual.  Corporations cannot make independent expenditures for candidate races..
            O  Required strict reporting of contributions and expenditure  with disclosure before the election, instead of after the election as is the current case.
            O  Required that major contributors to candidates or independent expenditures be cited in all print or electronic ads.

Read the Voter Pamphlet statement from the Alliance for Democracy.

One wins; one fails

When the votes were counted, the voters had approved the initiative but not the constitutional amendment. It was clear that voters realize the effect that unlimited contributions have on the political process and that they support limitations on campaign contributions.

However, they were not willing at that time to change the Oregon constitution to allow those limitations to take effect. The campaign against these measures falsely suggested that the constitutional amendment would have allowed infrigements on free speech; that this was the beginning down a slippery slope. Fear won the day.

Even so, the Oregon Secretary of State and Attorney General should have enforced initiative #47 because we the citizens passed it and it therefore is the law. However, they ruled that because of the Oregon Supreme Court ruling which invalidated the earlier campaign contribution limitations, that this measure was also unconstitutional.

They should enforce the law. They should allow it to be challenged. They should allow the Oregon Supreme Court to rule freshly on the constitutional question.

Moving forward

Looking to the 2010 election, six new petitions have been sent to the Oregon Secretary of State (SOS). After the SOS writes ballot titles and we have authorization to start gathering signatures, the process of qualifying one of these will begin.

In November 2010, Oregon voters will once again be able to voice their support for ending the corrupting influence of
unlimited campaign contributions in the Oregon political process.

Additional resources for this effort:
Fair Elections  www.fairelections.net  (This is the official website for the campaign)

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