For immediate release March 6, 2024
Contacts:
Dan Meek 503-293-9099 dan@honest-elections.com
Jason Kafoury 202-465-2764 jason@honest-elections.com
Kate Titus 202-480-1132 ktitus@commoncause.org
Becky Gladstone 541-510-9387 b.gladstone@lwvor.org
James Ofsink 503-208-4082 james@portlandforward.org
On HB 4024 Campaign Limits Pending at Oregon Legislature
Good Government Groups have reached a conceptual agreement with the Legislature and large political spenders to enact historic campaign finance reform. We now wait for a faithful campaign finance reform bill to pass both chambers and be signed by Governor Kotek.
The Oregon Legislature has never in its history passed campaign contribution limits (although it has repealed voter-enacted limits several times). The tireless efforts of democracy-focused groups over the last 27 years–working with local and national experts to develop good public policy and collecting over 100,000 signatures on Initiative Petition 9 (2024) from Oregon voters–have created the conditions for the compromise we are reaching today.
Statements
“Oregon’s largest campaign spenders tried to push a last-minute deal through the Legislature to avoid the stronger limits and disclosure requirements in our Initiative Petition 9. Thanks to years of grassroots work and intense negotiation by Honest Elections Oregon, Common Cause Oregon and other good government groups, we managed to get dozens of fixes to the bill so that it represents an important step toward comprehensive campaign finance reform in Oregon.”
- Dan Meek, Honest Elections Oregon
“This is not a perfect policy. We think the limits are still too high and the transparency pieces still need a lot of work. But this is a giant leap forward for Oregon’s democracy. We worked hard to create a system that would give everyday Oregonians a chance to have their voices heard against millionaires and billionaires. In the last election cycle Phil Knight donated over five million directly to candidates, he will now be able to donate $3,300 just like everyone else.”
- Jason Kafoury, Honest Elections Oregon
“We don’t have to sell our democracy to the highest bidder or kowtow to the biggest spenders! When we organize, we build power. Grassroots communities have come together, through groups like Common Cause and Honest Elections Oregon, passing model reforms in Portland – limits, transparency, and public financing – and a 2020 ballot measure to allow state-wide reform. When we stand together, we can take back our democracy.”
- Kate Titus, Common Cause Oregon
“Oregon is fortunate to have so many activists and organizers working for our publicly supported true campaign finance reform. Opponents, to compete with our popular IP 9, raised a fake “campaign finance reform” measure to defend their power structures on November ballots. We expect unions and businesses would spend tens of millions to persuade Oregon voters to reject IP 9. The League supports transparency and efficiency in government, so we in good faith will support a legislative compromise, for substantive reform, during these last hectic days of session. Oregon deserves better so work must continue.
From the League’s national perspective, we will soon be able to say that Oregon is off the list and the United States is down to only 4 states with no political campaign contribution limits.”.
- Rebecca Gladstone, League of Women Voters of Oregon
“This is just the beginning of a long journey to improve Oregon’s wild west campaign finance system. We look forward to continued efforts over the coming years to fight for lower limits, improved transparency, and public funding.”
- James Ofsink, Portland Forward
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