Press Release on 2022 Measures

December 7, 2021 PORTLAND, Oregon

Honest Elections Oregon, a coalition of pro-democracy groups and advocates, filed ballot initiatives to enhance the campaign finance system in Oregon, reduce the perception and reality of corruption, and empower more voices in Oregon’s elections.  These measures:

• include large campaign contribution limits to reduce outsized big money influence
• require political ads to transparently reveal their largest funders
• create a small donor matching program to make smaller contributions matter and improve opportunities for candidates from historically marginalized communities
  

“I am honored to support the ballot campaign finance reform initiatives filed today. These measures can help to restore voters’ confidence in healthy democracy. Voters must know that our elections are fair and free of undue influence by powerful dark money at the expense of voters. We can accomplish this and restore trust in our political system.”

          --Rebecca Gladstone, President, League of Women Voters of Oregon

“I am proud of the measures we have filed and the extensive process we embarked on to craft the best policies possible with both local and national experts. We hope in the coming months, during the ballot title review process, to continue building a big tent to support these measures and to continue to work with historically marginalized communities. We know that voters want to take big money out of politics. These initiatives could move Oregon from the Wild Wild West of campaign finance to leading the way with one the best programs in the nation.”

          --Jason Kafoury, Honest Elections Oregon

Honest Elections Oregon worked successfully to pass campaign finance reforms in Multnomah County (2016) and the City of Portland (2018), proving not only that such policies are needed and popular but also that they work. The goal is to simply limit the corrosive impact money has had in Oregon politics and hold accountable those who attempt to subvert the will of democracy by buying elections.

OPB Article on Our 2022 Measures

Good government groups are pushing campaign finance limits in Oregon.  They might have competition.

Oregon Public Broadcasting    December 7, 2021

Following months of negotiations, labor unions and advocacy groups did not sign onto a plan for creating new campaign regulations.

After months of negotiations over what a system of campaign finance limits might look like for Oregon, a collection of left-leaning groups came to an impasse last week.

Now some participants in those negotiations are going it alone.

A coalition of good governance groups filed three potential ballot measures with the state on Monday that would shake up Oregon’s permissive system of funding campaigns. The group says it will decide on one to put forward to voters in 2022, once polling shows which is most popular.

While complex and differing in their specifics, each of the proposals would create new limits on what individuals, advocacy groups, labor organizations, corporations and political parties can contribute to candidates and causes.

The proposals also include requirements that political advertisements prominently display top donors, and that so-called “dark money” groups disclose their funding sources if they engage in campaigning.

One of the proposals would implement a system of public campaign financing, allowing candidates to accept small donations from individual donors and have that money multiplied by matching public funds. With public funding of up to $8 million a cycle for gubernatorial candidates — and far lower amounts for other offices —-- the system is designed to allow candidates to run competitive campaigns without focusing solely on big donors.

Salem Statesman Article on CFR Bill at OR Legislature

Advocates see holes in Oregon campaign finance reform legislation Connor Radnovich Sales Statesman-Journal   May 26, 2019 Become a Statesman Journal subscriber Reforming Oregon's campaign finance laws was a priority for a number of top lawmakers heading into the 2019 legislative session, but with only five weeks left some advocates are underwhelmed by the current proposals. The three bills under consideration would set limits on campaign contributions to candidates and political action committees, require some disclosure on who is paying for political advertisements and attempt to shine a light on the funding behind so-called "dark money" groups. But concerns have been raised that proposed campaign contribution limits are too high, certain political action committees are exempt from limits and the advertisement disclosure is ineffective at best.

House Committee On Rules 2019-03-13 3:00 PM - Mar 13th, 2019

House Committee On Rules 2019-03-13 3:00 PM - Mar 13th, 2019

Push for Portland contribution limits could impact council race Campaign to revisit hostile court decisions will focus on Hardesty-Smith fundraising. TRIBUNE PHOTO: JONATHAN HOUSE - Emma Easley Darden, center, and Moses Ross canvass for signatures at the Hillsdale Farmers Market in support of a Portland measure that would limit campaign contributions. On a recent Sunday at the Hillsdale Farmers' Market in Southwest Portland, a one-man electric-guitar show produced classic rock melodies as vendors sold fresh vegetables and plants, sauces, health tonic and fresh yak and elk meat. Greeting arrivals were volunteers gathering signatures for the latest push to limit campaign contributions, a initiative targeting the November ballot that promises "Honest Elections" for the city of Portland. The scene shows how activists are working to get big money out of politics — a change they hope will make the city, region and state a friendlier place for more liberal candidates well into the future. Thanks to unfavorable court rulings on the state and federal level, some political observers view the would-be campaign reformers as the local activist version of Don Quixote, pursuing ideals without hope of success. But the activists say they intend to win — and they also hope to have an effect on the race for the pending City Council seat in which former lawmaker Jo Ann Hardesty and Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith are headed for a runoff in the November general election. "We want to keep this issue before voters, and force candidates to take a stand supporting or opposing contribution limits," said Jason Kafoury, the lawyer who is co-leading the campaign reform effort. His group clashed earlier with Smith over a similar Multnomah County measure that passed with nearly 89 percent of the vote in November 2016, generating election complaints against her that she called groundless and unfair. Now it looks like that hostile relationship, born out of Smith's impassioned testimony against the group's goals, will carry over into the general election. Indeed, Kafoury has contributed to Hardesty's campaign, and the Independent Party of Oregon, in which Meek is a leader, supported her as well. Kafoury and his co-leader in the Honest Elections campaign, Dan Meek, say they are confident that their volunteer and paid operatives will gather the required 34,000 signatures to put their measure on the city ballot in November, much as they succceeded at the county level in 2016. Throughout the campaign, they intend to keep the focus on how money is being spent in the council race, which they expect will have an unintended benefit for Hardesty, the candidate they support to replace outgoing City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. For the May primary race, Smith raised $324,918, nearly 80 percent of it in chunks that would not meet the proposed city measure's $500 campaign limits, according to a new analysis by the Honest Elections group. Hardesty, meanwhile, raised $194,246, of which 31 percent would not meet the proposed limits. The difference in fundraising reflects different philosophies on the issue. Two years ago Smith testified that limits at the county level were discriminatory, arguing they would hurt her and other minority candidates' ability to forge relationships with monied donors and interests who could assist in seeking higher office. Last week, her campaign manager, Jake Weigler, said in an email that Smith's views haven't changed, and she has no plans to adopt voluntary limits as some candidates have done in the past. "Like the Oregon courts, the commissioner has real questions about whether campaign finance limits violate the state and federal constitutions," he wrote. Indeed, the Multnomah County measure is tied up in court, as a judge's ruling calling limits an unconstitutional violation of free speech awaits appeal. While Hardesty has submitted an affidavit in support of the county measure in court, she has not adopted voluntary limits as the reformers have generally encouraged. "I am not in a position to set limits on the amount of money people are willing to give to my campaign because ... my opponent will have a significant financial advantage," she wrote in an email. The campaign reformers note that Portland voters supported the county limits, and they hope the November election increases the pressure on future candidates to endorse and support reforms — potentially including a public campaign finance system. But considering the group already has one measure that has been challenged successfully on free-speech grounds, and remains tied up in court, are they just wasting time and public funds in what could be a repeat? "We're just doing it to aggravate people," Meek quipped, when asked if the push would be a waste. In reality, he said, the city measure will go into more detail than the county one and will have other benefits as well. And he expects both to win at the Oregon Supreme Court level. "When we win in court and everything is validated, then we will have the limits in place in both Multnomah County and city of Portland races," he said, noting they also plan a statewide measure in 2020. He likened the push to the court battle that successfully overturned former U.S. Supreme Court rulings supporting segregation. "If you give up, you lose," he said. "If you don't give up, you win. And we are going to win." Source: http://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/396277-289616-push-for-portland-contribution-limits-could-impact-council-race

Obscure Source Of Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Greg Wooldridge Reveal Quirk In Law

Obscure Source Of Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Greg Wooldridge Reveal Quirk In Law . News Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Wooldridge speaks at 2018 Dorchester Conference. He beat Rep. Knute  Buehler with 40 percent of the vote in a straw poll there. Anonymous campaign donations are banned in Oregon, but nearly half the money raised by a leading Republican gubernatorial candidate cannot be directly traced because it comes from two out of state corporations. The two corporations have donated $125,000 of the $288,000 raised so far by candidate Greg Wooldridge, who lists “the sunshine of accountability” as part of his campaign platform. What the functions of the corporations are — and who is behind them — was a mystery only partly cleared up by the campaign after the donations were made. One is tied to a California real estate executive, but the other, listed as a Nevada firm, had its business license yanked, an Associated Press review found.

Campaign spending surges in East Portland Democratic Senate race

Updated May 9, 7:14 AM; Posted May 9, 7:14 AM

Shemia Fagan and Rod Monroe have raised the most money in the Senate District 24 Democratic primary. (Associated Press and The Oregonian/OregonLive)

By Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

The Oregonian/OregonLive

Spending in a much-watched Oregon Senate race surged in the last month, as groups funded by the real estate industry and trial lawyers poured money into the race that will determine whether Democratic incumbent Rod Monroe continues to represent East Portland.

Monroe is trying to fend off Shemia Fagan and Kayse Jama, who are running against him from the left, in the May 15 primary. Housing affordability is the central issue: Monroe says rent control doesn't work, whereas Fagan and Jama want to allow cities to impose such limits. The election is also a referendum on the Senate's moderate Democratic establishment.

The Largest Independent Expenditure of This Election Cycle Is Rooted in a California Trailer Park Fortune

It’s surprisingly easy for large out-of-state interests to influence Oregon politics from behind several smokescreens.

(Grant Kratzer)

The largest independent expenditure so far in this spring's election cycle is $90,000 spent on a TV attack ad.

The campaign commercial, which began airing by May 1, accuses former Rep. Shemia Fagan of hypocrisy in her crusade to overturn Oregon's statewide ban on rent control.

Fagan is seeking to unseat incumbent state Sen. Rod Monroe in the Democratic primary.

But Monroe didn't pay for the ad.

Instead, a political action committee spent the money in a Democratic primary that's turned into a knock-down, drag-out fight over the future of housing policy in Oregon.

Rod Monroe (right) speaks at a forum while Shemia Fagan and Kayse Jama look on. (Daniel Stindt)

The reasons for the expenditure are clear: The funders want to keep the rent-control ban in place. But the individuals behind the campaign contributions are far more opaque.

It's surprisingly easy for large out-of-state interests to influence Oregon politics from behind several smokescreens.

Dan Meek, a lawyer and advocate for campaign finance reform, expressed alarm that the ad fails to fully disclose its funders. "It says that democracy is in peril, if not in death throes," says Meek.

Brown and Buehler on record fundraising path; She’s raised more, he’s spent more as primary looms SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown has more than twice the amount of money to spend than her leading GOP challenger for governor, Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend. As of Thursday, Brown had $3.5 million in the bank and Buehler had $1.5 million. Buehler has outspent Brown $1.8 million to $1.4 million. Buehler, a moderate, faces two conservatives — Greg Wooldridge and Sam Carpenter — in the May 15 primary. Each has spent more than $150,000 to woo voters. Brown faces only token opposition in the Democratic primary. With over six months remaining until the Nov. 6 general election, Brown and Buehler have altogether raised $8.6 million. The fundraising pace puts them on track to pass the record $17.7 million spent in the 2010 governor’s race — a narrow victory by Democrat John Kitzhaber over Republican Chris Dudley. Brown has raised $5.3 million. The sum includes $1.1 million left over from 2016, when she won the special election for governor. Buehler has raised $3.3 million, all but $161,000 raised since he announced his candidacy in August 2017.

Initiative may financially limit political campaigns In Columbia County

Chief petitioners Carroll Sweet, Nancy Bubl
and Annie Christensen.

Initiative may financially limit political campaigns

In November you may be able to vote on a ballot measure controlling the funds for candidates running in elections.

The initiative is called Honest Elections Columbia County Ordinance Initiative and is sponsored by Envision Columbia County.

Chief petitioners Carroll Sweet, Nancy Bubl and Annie Christensen are currently collecting signatures to pass the initiative. The initiative states that “limiting large contributions and expenditures in political campaigns would strengthen democratic institutions, enhance public confidence in government, and reduce the cost of running for office, thereby enabling a greater diversity of persons to seek public office.”

Contributions pouring in for incumbents, Republicans in county, state races

Contributions pouring in for incumbents, Republicans in county, state races | Elections

Douglas County Commissioner Tim Freeman has collected $43,790 in campaign contributions so far this year, while his nearest competitor, Brandy Stone, has collected about 1.5 percent of that.

The News-Review looked at the Oregon secretary of state’s records on campaign contributions to local candidates for Douglas County commissioner and the state House of Representatives. As of Tuesday, Republicans were out-earning Democrats in state races, and incumbent county commissioners were far outpacing their challengers in campaign contributions.

Typically quiet Oregon election rattled by billionaires’ contribution

Typically quiet Oregon election rattled by billionaires’ contribution - KPTV A typically quiet Oregon election has been fueled with hundreds of thousands of dollars from outside donors. Long-time Washington County prosecutor Kevin Barton was running uncontested until the March 6 filing deadline. Now, he’s now up against Criminal Defense Attorney Max Wall, and both campaigns are getting contributions from multi-billionaires.

OP/ED: Outsider Money Swamps Local Political Race By Cheryl Johnson Astoria, Oregon – Oregon House District Race 32 is one of the few positions in the May 15, 2018 primary where voters have a choice. With few races on which to spend their money to influence the outcome of the election, the HD 32 race has attracted thousands of dollars from outside the district from corporations, unions, and non-profits. The money is predominantly from the Portland Metro area. “Clearly we need to do something to get money out of politics,” says John Orr, one of the Democrats running to replace Deborah Boone. Orr has accepted money only from individuals. He has collected 9% of the total contributed to this election. Tim Josi, whose money is predominately from corporations, has collected 52%. Tiffiny Mitchell has collected 38%, with the majority coming from Portland based unions and non-profits. “Money is distorting democracy” says Orr. “The purpose of district elections is for local citizens to choose who will represent them in Salem. It is not for Portlanders to choose legislators in addition to their own”.

Republicans Aren’t Popular in Oregon. But Their Political Action Committees Are Flourishing

One possible result: a constitutional amendment
prohibiting any form of taxation on any part
of grocery transactions.

By Nigel Jaquiss |

Published 5:32 AM

 Updated 5:32 AM

In a year when they'll have the added burden of running under the banner of President Donald Trump, Oregon's vastly outnumbered Republicans have to pick their spots.

It appears that's what they are doing—with a slew of new, separate issue-specific political action committees.

A few of the names emerging in recent months in state election filings: "No Supermajorities PAC," "Yes, Keep Our Groceries Tax Free" and "More Housing Now."

Their opponents are mystified.

Voters Could See a 2018 Initiative to Limit Campaign Donations in Portland City Council Elections

The change would make Portland's campaign finance rules more like Multnomah County's regulations.

Updated December 22, 2017

Advocates have filed an initiative petition to impose limits on campaign contributions for candidates in Portland City Council elections.

The petition, filed Dec. 20 by Ron Buel and B. Elizabeth Trojan, needs 34,156 signatures by July 6 to successfully make it to the ballot in November 2018.

The proposal would limit individual contributions to $500 per candidate per year, and cap a person's aggregate donations at $5,000 each year. A small donor committee that only accepts donations of $100 or less could contribute as much as it wants to any candidate. Political Action Committees would have to follow the same rules as individual donors.

The state of Oregon has no campaign finance limits—making big-ticket races an expensive proposition. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, for example, raised about $1.1 million in his 2016 campaign.

Groups push limits on Oregon campaign contributions

Groups push limits on Oregon campaign contributions - Capital Bureau An effort to impose limits on campaign contributions comes as a [Koch-funded] group gives Oregon an “A plus” rating for allowing unlimited contributions to candidates, parties and campaigns. SALEM — As one of several states that doesn’t limit how much individuals, businesses or unions can contribute to candidates, parties or causes, Oregon has earned an “A plus” rating from a Virginia-based group founded by an advocate of deregulating campaign finance. The rating comes as supporters of campaign finance reform are renewing efforts to amend the Oregon Constitution to allow such limits. Oregon, Alabama, Nebraska, Utah and Virginia each got a perfect score in rankings released this week by the Institute for Free Speech.