Ore. voters to tackle open primary issue
By BRAD CAIN Associated Press WriterSALEM, Ore. (AP) - Independent voters, currently not allowed to vote in Oregon's Republican and Democratic primary elections, would have a say in picking candidates under an initiative measure that will appear on the state's November ballot. The secretary of state's office announced Monday the measure had attracted enough petition signatures to gain a spot on the fall ballot, as did another one to dedicate 15 percent of lottery profits for crime prevention, investigations and prosecutions. In all, seven citizen-sponsored initiatives have won a place on the fall ballot. Secretary of state spokesman Don Hamilton said officials will announce soon whether an eighth measure - to tie teacher pay to classroom performance - will qualify as well. The "open primary" measure, sponsored by two former Oregon secretaries of state - Democrat Phil Keisling and Republican Norma Paulus - would essentially abolish party primaries in Oregon. Instead, candidates would run in a single primary, with the two top finishers, regardless of party, advancing to the November general election. Keisling and other supporters say it would bring more independent voters into the process and cut down on excessive partisanship. "It lets people vote for the best candidate, regardless of their own party affiliation or lack thereof," Keisling said Monday. "It lets independent voters participate in elections that have been open only to party members." Officials from both the state Republican and Democratic parties have opposed the measure, saying party members should be able to choose their own nominees and that the open primary could produce a November runoff featuring members of the same party. The other measure that qualified on Monday - to divert 15 percent of lottery proceeds into a public safety fund - is sponsored by Republican activist Kevin Mannix. He already has won a spot on November's ballot for another measure to set minimum prison sentences for offenders convicted of some property and drug crimes. Half the money under Mannix's lottery measure would be used to fund the criminal investigation and forensics operations of the State Police. "This initiative will give us what I call the real CSI Oregon," Mannix said Monday. "It will fully fund the crime lab forensics and criminal investigation operations of our State Police, which are critical to help all law enforcement agencies deal with crime." The other half would go to the counties to boost operating funds for Oregon's district attorneys and local sheriffs, and to pay for early childhood programs for at-risk children. The measure is expected to draw opposition from education interests and others, since lottery profits are now earmarked for schools and economic development as well as state parks and salmon restoration. Under a measure approved by voters in 1996, 15 percent of that money goes to parks and salmon restoration; 18 percent goes to an education reserve fund; and the rest is divvied up between economic development and K-12 school funding. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |
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October 7, 2008
- Eugene, Oregon
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