Oregon tax revolt
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The Oregon
Major figures
The leaders of the tax revolt include Don McIntire, president of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon, and
Tim Knopp, a Republican lawmaker from Bend, was the main author of the “kicker” tax rebate and the later successful effort to place it in the Oregon Constitution. He is the former House majority leader and as of 2024, Senate Minority Leader.
National context and the passage of Measure 5
Oregon voters placed limits to
Measure 5 shifted the source of school funding to the state. Instead of property taxes, funding had to come from the General Fund. Oregon does not have a sales tax, so money had to be drawn from the General Fund - primarily via the state income tax).[2]
Measure 5 also equalized school funding throughout the state, which meant that schools in rural areas benefited while schools in Portland saw budgets reduced.[2][3]
Measure 47
Later legislation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Bill_Sizemore.jpg/170px-Bill_Sizemore.jpg)
The tax revolt manifested itself in a series of budget battles in the Oregon Legislature about school funding, the
In 2000, Don McIntire helped place Measure 8 on Oregon's ballot, which would have limited state spending to 15 percent of personal income for the previous biennium. Measure 8 was defeated by a margin of 43.5% to 56.5%.
Anti-tax activists defeated two proposals in 2003 and 2004 (
Sizemore's group ran into legal problems in 2002. Sizemore sparked the ire of several public employees
Tax activists generally claim that Oregon's government is wasteful and inefficient, arguing that the government could do better with less. They often highlight programs that they feel are unnecessary.[12] Opponents of the tax revolt argue that passing tax decreases via ballot measure leads to short-sighted policy making, in which voters are enticed to vote with the revolt by lower tax bills and without thinking about the budget problems caused by reduced revenues.[citation needed]
Notable figures in the Oregon tax revolt
Timeline of ballot measures
- Measure 5 (1990)
- Measure 50 (1997)(legislative referral)
- Measure 8 (2000) (failed)
- Measure 86 (2000)(kicker)
- Measure 30 (2004)(tax increase measures, defeated)
- Measure 48 (2006)(both failed)
- Measure 59 (2008)(failed)
- Measures 66 and 67 (2010)(tax increase referendums, passed)
See also
References
- ^ "Who Will Stop This Man". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 13 Aug 2007.
- ^ a b Zusman, Mark (November 4, 2014). "Nov. 6, 1990: Voters approve Measure 5". Willamette Week. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ a b "A Brief History of Oregon Property Taxation" (PDF). Oregon Department of Revenue. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Official Results, State Measure No. 47, November 5, 1996 General Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Official Results State Measure No. 50, May 20, 1997: Statewide Special Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ "November 7, 2000 General Election State Measure No. 8". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ "November 7, 2000 General Election State Measure No. 86". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Constitutional quirks are Oregon's political potholes". www.oregoncapitalinsider.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ "Oregon's massive kicker is spurring a fresh look at the state's unique tax rebate law - OPB". www.opb.org. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ Hamilton, Don (May 13, 2003). "Sizemore sees his troubles doubled". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ "November 5, 2002 General Abstract of Voters".
- ^ "A Vision For Public Finance In Oregon" (PDF). Oregon Business Council Public Finance Task Force. April 15, 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
External links
- Embattled anti-tax advocate Bill Sizemore under fire again
- Taxpayer Association of Oregon
- Oregon Territory program on the tax revolt Part 1 Part 2(m3u audio stream)
- Fund Oregon's Future Today
- The Great Tax Revolt of 1994: Will anti-tax initiatives sweep the states this fall? from October 1994 Reason magazine