Reformers Want Fast-Track Battle Over Oregon's Campaign Finance Laws

Reformers Want To Fast-Track A Battle Over Oregon's Campaign Finance Laws

Ann McGarry/OPB

A fight over limits on campaign donations that could have Oregon-wide implications is headed to a higher court. The only question is: Which one?

Earlier this month, a Multnomah County judge slapped down new campaign finance rules that limit campaign contributions to $500. County voters approved the new rules, which also cap how much can be spent independently to help a candidate’s chances, by a huge margin in 2016.

Those limits represented a big change in Oregon, which has among the most permissive campaign finance laws in the country. But Judge Eric Bloch ruled March 6 that the Multnomah County rules ran afoul of Oregon protections on free speech.

Now, with an appeal of that ruling assured, reformers who supported the changes want to fast-track a final decision. In a little-used move, they plan to ask the Oregon Court of Appeals to pass the matter directly to the Oregon Supreme Court, rather than hearing the case itself.

If the motion succeeds, the state’s highest court will soon mull whether or not Oregon law truly forbids limits on campaign donations.

“In a case like this, I think the chances of getting certification to the Oregon Supreme Court are good,” says Dan Meek, an attorney representing a group of citizens who’ve defended the limits in court.

Hones Elections Launches Portland Effort

The voters of Multnomah County enacted Measure 26-184 by a margin of 89% "yes" to 11% "no" at the November 2016 election.  The voters inside Portland were 90% "yes" on the measure.  So we are offering Portland voters the opportunity to adopt a very similar measure to amend the City Charger to get big money out of Portland politics.

Lost Valley mega-dairy allowed by state officials to tap restricted aquifier

Lost Valley Farm uses nearly 1 million gallons of water daily
for its 10,000 cows.

A year after it opened, Oregon’s second-largest dairy has not secured rights to the nearly 1 million gallons of water per day it needs for its thousands of cows and to process milk.

Instead, Lost Valley Farm near Boardman moved ahead without the necessary permits, using a loophole in Oregon law to pull water out of an underground aquifer that’s been off limits to new wells for 42 years, alarming neighboring farmers who say their water supplies are now at risk.

Documents obtained by the Statesman Journal show Gov. Kate Brown, her staff and the directors of three state agencies knew the dairy would fall back on the loophole if a proposed water trade was challenged.

Cancer risk doubles in industry-backed toxic air plan for Oregon

For nearly the last two years, state regulators, scientists, advocates and businesses interests have met in public to come up with a plan to cut toxic air pollution statewide.

But before it can be adopted, the state Legislature is stepping in with its own plan, crafted in secret and backed by industry.

A group that includes two Democratic senators, a Republican senator, regulators and two industry lobbyists is drafting legislation that would do less to reduce toxic air pollution than what Gov. Kate Brown proposed in response to Portland's 2016 toxic air crisis. No environmental groups or public health advocates were invited to participate in the lawmakers' closed-door discussions.

Multnomah County to appeal campaign finance ruling Despite advocates' request, commissioners won't follow voter-approved rules while they are on appeal Multnomah County will join supporters of campaign contribution limits in appealing a local judge's ruling against 2016 campaign finance reforms that were approved by 89 percent of voters. And if anything, the activists behind passage of the measure plan to step up their efforts despite an 11-page ruling that was issued by Multnomah Circuit Judge Eric Bloch calling the limits a violation of the free-speech clause of Oregon's Constitution. The advocates say they intend to keep pressing for a similar set of reforms at Portland City Hall and are prepared to pursue a statewide measure if necessary. Currently, Oregon is one of only a handful of states that does not limit campaign contributions.