Will Portlanders Slap Limits On Campaign Contributions? Progressive Groups Plan to Find Out

Will Portlanders Slap Limits On Campaign Contributions? Progressive Groups Plan to Find Out - Blogtown

Reformers had an easy time last year convincing Multnomah County voters to put limits on campaign contributions for county races. Now they're hoping to make the same plea at the city level—even as the legality of their reforms remains an open question.

Months after more than 88 percent of voters approved Measure 26-184, which strictly limits financing in elections for county officials, local progressive activists have drafted a measure to slap the same basic strictures on city races, the Mercury has learned.

Multnomah commissioners flip after backlash on campaign finance reform County will defend voter-approved contribution limits after all, instead of standing on sidelines. In an abrupt about-face, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on April 13 decided to defend the constitutionality of a campaign finance reform measure overwhelmingly approved by voters. The change of stance was announced hours after dozens of reform supporters packed the board's Thursday morning meeting, protesting an earlier board decision to not defend the reform measure. Speakers noted repeatedly that 89 percent of the voters approved the change in November. The voters "spoke loud and clear," said Juan Carlos Ordonez, who sat on the county committee that recommended the charter change. "If you respect the will of the people you should instruct the lawyers to go defend the measure."

Reversing Citizens United: The little measure that could A campaign finance reform plan on the Multnomah County ballot was written to be challenged — and to force the U.S. Supreme Court to re-examine its contentious 2010 decision On Nov. 8, voters in Multnomah County will decide on a ballot measure that could make it possible to reel in runaway political campaign funding nationwide. While Measure 26-184 is written as a county charter amendment specific to Multnomah County races, it contains provisions capping independent expenditures, which is prohibited under the U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United decision of 2010.  That ruling held that political spending is a form of free speech. It allowed for corporations and unions to begin spending unlimited sums of money on political campaign promotions and attack ads, and it contained loopholes making it difficult to know where dark money flowing into political action committees is coming from.