Oregon is the birthplace of the Citizens' Initiative Review.

The CIR was first demonstrated on a statewide basis in Oregon in 2008, and in 2011 the Citizens’ Initiative Review was signed into law by the Oregon legislature – an historic first. For more details on the CIR’s history, visit our About page.

The Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission oversees statewide Citizens’ Initiative Reviews in Oregon, which occurred every even year since 2008. No statewide review took place in 2018 due to a lack of funding. But we took the opportunity to do a local one in the Portland area instead!

2018 Portland Metro-Area CIR

For the first time ever, a randomly selected and demographically representative citizen panel reviewed a local ballot measure in the Portland metro area. Over four days of deliberation, the panel reviewed Measure 26-199, the Portland Metro Region Affordable Housing Bond. For more information on this review and to read the Citizens’ Statement, click here.

Oregon Citizens' Statements

Statewide

Measure 97 (2016)
Measure 92 (2014)
Measure 90 (2014)
Measure 85 (2012)
Measure 82 (2012)
Measure 74 (2010)
Measure 73 (2010)
Measure 58 (2008)

Portland Metro Area

Measure 26-199 (2018)

Jackson County

Jackson County, Oregon, was the site of the first county pilot of a Citizens’ Initiative Review process.

Measure 15-119 (2014)

Recent Tweets

It’s #InternationalDemocracyDay. We celebrated this morning by presenting at #iap2nac. This afternoon, we reflect on where we want to fit into democratic practices. How about you? What role do you play in democracy?
— Healthy Democracy @(healthydem) 1 day ago

Can’t wait to see what #iap2nac has in store for us. Don’t miss our presentation Wednesday morning: BINGO: Centering Public Engagement Around a Lottery. Will we see you there? Let us know below. buff.ly/3Ab0Y2a
— Healthy Democracy @(healthydem) 3 days ago

#meetourstaff This is Eliska. She is responsible for designing all outward-facing visual materials for the organization. Eliska spends most of her free time outdoors or in front of an easel painting. Find out more about Eliska here: buff.ly/3zGpkRh
— Healthy Democracy @(healthydem) 6 days ago

Check out our newest idea: reimagining direct democracy through lottery-selected assemblies. With @oregonskitchentable and @sightline we want to fulfill the potential of state initiative systems and give everyday people unique political agency. More info: buff.ly/2W78lcd
— Healthy Democracy @(healthydem) 4 weeks ago

Recent Posts

Assuming Democracy: Adam Says Hello

October 8, 2020

After too many years working in the advertising industry as a Creative Director, one day I came to the liberating conclusion that I no longer wanted to sell people things they didn’t need. This reluctant admission was instantly followed by a life-changing question: what if I take the skills I have for selling people stuff
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“The Hope and Promise of Our Democracy”: Robin Says Goodbye

August 31, 2020

It has been my great privilege to have served the Healthy Democracy organization over the past 4 ½ years alongside some of the most dedicated staff and volunteer board members one could imagine. First and foremost, my thanks goes to each of them for making this work possible and impactful, and equally importantly, for making
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Annabelle’s Reflection on her Nevins Fellowship with Healthy Democracy

August 15, 2020

Over the summer, Healthy Democracy was grateful to welcome Annabelle LaRosa as our 2020 Nevins Fellow. The Nevins Fellowship, through the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, provides students with the opportunity to complete internships at organizations that bring people together to solve common problems. From June through August, Annabelle lent her perspective and
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CIR in Oregon