2003 Oregon Ballot Measure 28
 |
Measure 28 was a
special election with 575,846 votes in favor, 676,312 votes against.[1]
Budget problems, caused by
minorities, high unemployment, and problems with Oregon's public pension system, dominated Oregon's 2002–2003 biennium. To make up for lost revenue, the legislature approved a mixture of budget cuts and referred Measure 28 to a vote of the people.[2] The referral was marred by controversy as Democratic Governor John Kitzhaber objected to the Republican-controlled legislature's omission of the cuts that would result from the measure's failure in the ballot title (the summary of the measure provided to voters). Supporters of the measure blamed the ballot title omission for the defeat of the measure.[3]
Proponents of the measure felt it was the only way to avoid proposed spending cuts to programs such as
mentally ill.[4] Opponents, many part of the Oregon tax revolt
, felt that increasing taxes would prolong the recession, and that the state should live within its means.
Cuts in the wake of Measure 28's defeat seemed to vindicate proponents' arguments. The day after Measure 28's defeat,
Some fiscal conservatives felt that wasteful spending was more to blame than the tax defeat.Nonetheless, the high percentage of "yes" votes in the Portland metro area inspired local governments in that region to bring their own temporary tax increases to the ballot.
A year later, voters defeated a similar measure,
Measure 30
.
See also
References
External links
- Oregon Voters' Pamphlet Measure 28 from Oregon State Library Digital Collection—includes ballot title, text of the measure, and arguments for and against
  | This Oregon elections-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |