As lawmakers were finishing their work in the 2023 legislative session last week, they were creating more work for Oregon voters.
The Legislature referred three proposals to the November 2024 ballot that could lead to meaningful changes in how top Oregon leaders are selected, what they earn and, potentially, how they lose their jobs if they misbehave.
On their own, the three measures will constitute the most legislative ballot referrals since 2016, when there were four. And with another session scheduled between now and next year’s election, that number could grow.
Here’s a rundown of the measures voters will consider.
Oregon, unlike other states, has no provision for the Legislature to remove the governor or executive branch elected officials in cases of serious misdeeds. That would change if voters approve the constitutional amendment put forward by House Joint Resolution 16.
The measure would allow the House to impeach the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and state labor commissioner if two-thirds of members agree. The body would be limited in taking that step to instances of corruption, dereliction of duty or a “felony or high crime.”
Once impeached by the House, the Senate would carry out a trial, presided over by the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. A two-thirds vote would remove an accused official from office.
Republicans have insisted all year that the Legislature should have impeachment powers. Their effort picked up momentum when then-Secretary of State Shemia Fagan got swept up in a scandal over her decision to do lucrative consulting work for an Oregon cannabis company.
Fagan stepped down voluntarily, but HJR 16′s proponents argued that might not always be the case.
“It is necessary for us to have this available,” said Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend. “You can get into a situation where someone decides they don’t want to leave or they want to leverage the office when they should leave. That shouldn’t happen.”
Voters will also be asked to fundamentally reshape the way the state selects some of its most powerful people.
Under House Bill 2004, Oregon would implement ranked-choice voting for statewide elected officials, the president and members of Congress. Local governments would be free to implement the system as well.
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to choose several candidates in order of preference. If no single candidate receives more than 50% of first-preference votes, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are distributed to other candidates. That process continues until a candidate had amassed a majority of the vote.
The system is already used in Maine and Alaska, along with cities around the country. A version of ranked-choice voting will be a feature of elections for Portland City Council next year.
Advocates of ranked-choice voting say it can help voters feel more satisfied because they can more easily choose a candidate they like, even if that person has little chance of winning. Supporters also say it can cut down on mudslinging, as candidates hope to be listed among voters’ preferences.
“In no uncertain terms, Ranked Choice Voting will strengthen our democracy,” House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, tweetedafter the bill passed on Sunday.
Many Republican lawmakers criticized the proposal, saying it would confuse voters and election officials alike. Meanwhile, advocates of another voting system – dubbed STAR Voting – are trying to make their favored method the standard across the state. They could land a competing measure on the 2024 ballot.
Many of Oregon’s statewide elected officials are paid far less than their counterparts in other states – a fact that was thrust into the spotlight when Fagan said the $77,000 salary for the secretary of statewasn’t enough to pay her bills. State lawmakers also complain low salaries make it difficult for them to dedicate their time to a demanding job.
After years of declining to vote on raising those salaries, the Legislature hit on a new idea this year. They are asking voters to create a new “Independent Public Service Compensation Commission” under the state Constitution.
The commission would be the final word in setting pay for statewide elected officials, lawmakers, judges and elected district attorneys. The measure voters will consider does not specify how many people would sit on the body, or who would choose them. It does rule out state employees, lobbyists or their family members from having a role.
Copyright 2023 Oregon Public Broadcasting.