OREGON:
Ballot Measure 70: Expands Availability of Home Ownership Loans for Oregon Veterans
This measure would create a fund solely for home and farm loans to Oregonians who have served active duty in the Armed Forces.
Ballot Measure 71: Annual Legislative Sessions:
Currently, legislators meet every two years, except for emergency sessions every year. This measure would require lawmakers to meet every year.
Ballot Measure 72: Lowest Cost Borrowing:
The state would be allowed to borrow money at the lowest cost possible. It doesn't authorize any new borrowing or spending but is estimated to save tens of millions of dollars on real and personal property projects.
Ballot Measure 73: Oregon Crime Fighting Act:
Sponsored by Kevin Mannix, who has given Oregon a number of its tough-on-crime sentencing measures, Measure 73 gives people convicted of first degree rape, sodomy or child pornography the equivalent of a life prison term, if it is the person's second conviction for a major felony sex crime.
It also mandates that a person convicted of a third DUII in a 10-year time limit be given 90 days (three months) incarceration. That conviction would also be a class C felony, as would any other subsequent convictions for DUII.
It also puts an unfunded mandate on the state to reimburse counties for the incarceration of individuals under this measure.
Ballot Measure 74: Regulates a Medical Marijuana Supply System
Measure 74 would create a system of licensed and regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon that would be able to legally, under state law, sell to patients licensed by the state of Oregon's Medical Marijuana Program. Dispensaries and producers would be legally obliged to provide the state with quarterly reports on financial transactions and product transfers and would not allow dispensaries to operate within 1,000 feet of any school or within a residential neighborhood.
This law would still allow medical marijuana patients who choose to grow their own medicine or to have a caregiver grow their medicine for them. The state would set specific rules on how dispensaries operate.
Ballot Measure 75: Authorizes Multnomah County Casino
This measure is likely headed to court if it's approved. The measure would establish a resort casino in Multnomah County, as well as a 25 percent tax on gambling that would go towards education, the state police and local municipalities. Legal experts disagree whether or not allowing a non-tribal casino violates the state constitution. Another measure would have specifically addressed that issue, but sponsors failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
If it's approved, the resort casino would likely be built at 223rd Avenue and Halsey Street in Wood Village.
Ballot Measure 76: Puts 15 percent of lottery proceeds to parks and natural resources
Currently, 15 percent of lottery proceeds benefit parks, beaches, wildlife habitat and watershed protection. But that protection ends in 2014, unless voters approve Measure 76.
