In the Press

From KDRV Newswatch 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVSEl1gu5qg This May, Southern Oregon will be asked to decide between several measures and candidates in the 2014 primary election. According to the organization, Healthy Democracy, one out of every four Oregonians say ballot measures are hard to understand. They say this can be discouraging, and often a vote is uncast. […]

From KOBI: Measure 15-119, is a proposed ban on genetically modified crops on the upcoming May ballot. The measure is complicated and is also a very controversial topic. Executive Director of Healthy Democracy Oregon Tyrone Reitman said that’s why they are in Jackson County to help “we decided ultimately that we wanted to go with probably

From The Medford Mail Tribune: A citizen panel’s analysis and resulting public findings on banning or allowing genetically modified crops in Jackson County will not be the only point of study during the panel’s information-gathering process over the next three days. Professors from Colorado State University and Penn State University will also be hard at work,

From The Medford Mail Tribune: The nonpartisan Healthy Democracy Oregon group will gather 20 randomly selected Jackson County voters to evaluate contentious claims and supposed facts for a measure on the May 20 primary ballot, with a goal of providing a realistic picture of what the proposal will and won’t do. The state-sanctioned panel, called a

From Public Policy Intitute of California: A report released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recommends three steps to improve the initiative process—steps that reflect both Californians’ desire to continue making laws at the ballot box and their criticisms of the system. These policy changes would connect the legislative and initiative processes, increase

From the Democracy Fund blog: Local and statewide initiatives and referenda give citizens the opportunity to vote directly on legislation, but voters often lack the information they need to make informed choices. The State of Oregon has created a potential remedy for this situation, called the Citizens Initiative Review (CIR), which convenes a group of

From The Daily Courier: Kay Ogden said being selected for one of Oregon’s historic new citizen initiative review commissions made her feel as if she had won the lottery. “I saw it as an opportunity to be part of the democratic process,” the Grants Pass resident said. She joined 23 other registered Oregon voters in Portland

From The Daily Astorian: CANNON BEACH — Sue Meyers might have glanced at the opinions expressed about the initiative measures in prior Oregon Voters’ Pamphlets, but she rarely read them in depth. However, since her weeklong experience with the Citizens Initiative Review, which delved into ballot Measure 82, she will take those opinions more seriously. “It

From The Oregonian: Backers of a proposed casino in Wood Village said today they are suspending their campaign to get voters to approve Measures 82 and 83, which would allow it. “We knew when we began this process that it would be a challenge to break the existing political and gaming monopoly,” said a news release

By John Gastil / From The Centre Daily Times: As the presidential election lurches toward its conclusion, one can’t help but despair. Fact-checkers find speeches littered with falsehoods. The media bat at shiny new gaffes like distracted cats. Candidates posture for a slim majority. All this detracts from the more profound purpose of voting — namely,

From The Statesman Journal: Statement by Steven Ungar, Portland lawyer and former chairman of the Oregon Lottery Commission, on Measures 82/83, which were studied by the Citizens’ Initiative Review in August.  (See my story on Measures 82/83 posted Sunday, Oct. 7) It was an honor to appear before the Citizens’ Initiative Review panel, which released its

From The Bulletin: There’s a valuable information shortcut for voters for two of the November election’s ballot measures. It’s the Citizens Initiative Review. In your voter’s pamphlet, you’ll find credible information from the citizens review process on Ballot Measure 82, the amending of the constitution to allow casinos, and Ballot Measure 85, the one having to

From The East Oregonian: Jeff Coffman, 53, of Pendleton was intrigued when he received an invitation in the mail this July to take part in a new citizen review process for a measure on the 2012 Oregon ballot. By the end of August, Coffman was spending five days with 23 other Oregon registered voters learning the

From The Oregonian Editorial Board: We agree with backers of Measure 85 on one thing: The corporate kicker is bad public policy. Because good public policy is the best antidote to bad public policy, however, voters in November should deliver a swift kick of their own to Measure 85. The corporate income tax kicker is half of a matched

From Yes Magazine: The ballot initiative process, which provides an injection of direct democracy in twenty-four states, often ends up helping the right wing. For years, deep-pocketed funders have backed ballot measures to ban same-sex marriage, restrict reproductive rights, or make it nearly impossible for elected state legislatures to raise taxes—hurting families and helping to tank

From The Baker City Herald: Gail Duman strives to be involved in her community. The retired businesswoman sits on Baker City’s Budget Board and its Historic District Design Review Commission. She’s a former City Council member. Duman took on a new civic endeavor after she received a letter in the mail inviting her to serve on

From The Statesman Journal: I was a panel participant in the Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR) that studied Ballot Measure 85, which would amend Oregon’s constitution to redirect the corporate kicker into the general fund for K-12 education. I, along with 23 other Oregonians from across the state, met in Salem and committed a full week to

From NR Today: A Roseburg man who sat on a panel that debated two measures on the November ballot said he found compelling arguments to allow Oregon’s first private casino to open at the old Multnomah Kennel Club complex east of Portland. Larry Hassett, 69, a retired civil engineer technician with the U.S. Forest Service and

From The Portland Tribune: Despite misleading statements to the contrary, a fledgling effort to make sure voters are well informed about statewide ballot measures in Oregon is worth continuing. The Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review process is, in fact, already having a positive influence on an initiative system that’s become overly corrupted by big money over the

From Fox and Hounds: Dateline Portland where I’m here to observe Oregon’s Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR) process. As Joe Mathews noted in these pages a couple weeks ago after seeing this election cycle’s first review in Salem, the CIR offers an intriguing glimpse of what it’s like to hit an ostensibly democratic practice (the ballot initiative) with more

From The Register-Guard: An Oregon Citizens’ Initiative panel voted 19-5 earlier this month to endorse Measure 85, which would eliminate the corporate “kicker” tax refund, on the November ballot. A Saturday City/Region story incorrectly said the panel voted to oppose the measure. Private casinos could hurt the gaming revenues of existing tribal casinos. The Oregon Lottery,

From The Statesman Journal: By Peter Wong A ballot measure authorizing Oregon’s first private casino got a thumbs-down recommendation from 17 of 24 citizen panelists assigned to study it. The findings were released Friday afternoon, after the panelists took a week in Portland to hear from sponsors and opponents of Measure 82 on the Nov. 6

From The Oregonian: A citizen panel charged with reviewing ballot measures has come out against one that would allow Oregon’s first non-tribal casino to be built near Portland. Supporters of the casino aren’t wasting time trying to drum up voter support however. They launched the first TV ad of the campaign Friday, becoming the first ballot

From Oregon Public Broadcasting: The Citizens’ Initiative Review has come up with six findings on the potential impact of Measures 82 and 83. Panelists split with 7 in support of the measure, and 17 opposing. The Citizens’ Initiative Review is a non-profit that aims to provide independent assessments of controversial ballot measures. Its subject, Measure 82, would

From Willamette Week:  The backers of a Wood Village casino on the November ballot revealed yesterday the project’s scope—and a name: The Grange.  The site of the proposed venture is the old Multnomah Kennel Club greyhound track, a once-vibrant Oregon attraction that is now a decrepit mess overgrown with weeds and blackberry bushes. The Canadian investment group Clairvest