Honest Elections Files Mandamus Action against Secretary of State in Oregon Supreme Court

February 16, 2022 --- Campaign finance reformers today filed a petition for writ of mandamus, asking the Oregon Supreme Court to overrule the Secretary of State’s unprecedented rejection of Initiative Petitions 43, 44, and 45, which is based on misinterpretation of the Oregon Constitution: “The full text of the proposed measure was not included.” No other Oregon Secretary of State has required including in an initiative petition the text of subsections of existing law that are not changed by the proposed measure.

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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.