Lawmakers in Oregon are considering two provisions, House Joint Resolution 3 and House Joint Resolution 11, that could make it more difficult and expensive to land a measure on the ballot. The resolutions aim to address the issue of population concentration in the Portland metro area, which allows measures to qualify for the statewide ballot without input from the rest of Oregon. Currently, measures require signatures from 6% to 8% of voters to qualify for the ballot, but there is no requirement that signatures come from any specific part of the state.
House Joint Resolution 3, solely sponsored by Republicans, would require petitions to overcome signature thresholds in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. It would also prevent out-of-state spending on ballot measures. On the other hand, House Joint Resolution 11 would divide signatures equally among the state’s congressional districts, increasing the signature threshold to qualify measures.
Supporters argue that these provisions are necessary to ensure a more representative initiative process, while opponents claim it would give excessive power to some counties and make it difficult for citizen-initiated measures to qualify for the ballot. The proposals have sparked a debate over the accessibility and fairness of Oregon’s initiative system, with concerns raised about the impact on democracy and the ability of regular citizens to participate in the process. The resolutions currently sit in the House Rule Committee awaiting further hearings.
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