| This video from the 2008 press conference after Oregon's first Citizens' Initiative Review highlights representatives from the panel explaining why they support or oppose Ballot Measure 58. To view Healthy Democracy Oregon's video outlining the Citizens' Initiative Review, click here. |
When citizen-sponsored measures show up on the ballot, the advocates that support and oppose it try to spin the debate, which can leave voters unsure of how to evaluate the initiative's pros and cons. In Oregon, a process that provides voters with citizens' statements on the potential effects of ballot initiatives may expand pending Gov. Ted Kulongoski's signature. If HB 2895 is signed, it would allow for a representative panel of 18 to 24 voters to convene in order to help inform voters on one to three ballot measures on the 2010 ballot. Experienced moderators would guide the panel during the five-day process in which advocates and experts present background information and or arguments on the measure. The participants then draft a one-page statement about the measure for inclusion in the voter pamphlet. This process, known as the Citizens' Initiative Review would be a public-private partnership in Oregon, funded by private grants and contributions. In 2008, the pilot demonstration of the process evaluated Ballot Measure 58, which would limit the amount of instruction a student receives in his or her native language in public schools. In the panel's one-page statement, nine voters supported Ballot Measure 58, while 14 voters rejected it. In the 2008 election, Ballot Measure 58 was opposed by 56 percent of voters.