Oregon Ballot Measure 45, Term Limits (2006)

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Oregon Ballot Measure 45 was on the November 7, 2006 ballot in Oregon as an initiated constitutional amendment, where it was defeated.

Election results

Measure 45
Result		Votes	Percentage
d No		788,895	58.7%
Yes		555,016	41.3%

Impact

The measure would have prohibited any person from serving more than six years in the Oregon House of Representatives, eight years in the Oregon State Senate, or a total of more than 14 years in the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and included language granting standing to individuals and nonprofit entities in any lawsuit arising from enforcement of its provisions.

History of rejection

In 2002, the Oregon Supreme Court struck down on procedural grounds similar term limits which had been enacted by passage of Oregon Ballot Measure 3 (1992) by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Supporters and opponents

Of the $1.25 million spent in support of Measure 45, a majority came from U.S. Term Limits. The $85,000 raised to oppose it came from Oregon-based lobbyists and labor groups.

Press reaction

Newspaper editorial boards in initiative states for the most part object to term limits. There was no exception to that in Oregon in 2006. The Oregonian, the state's main newspapers, came out swinging against the measure, urging voters to reject the measure in two separate editorials. The Salem Statesman Journal urged readers "not to be fooled again by the lure of term limits" and the Eugene Register-Guard was equally determined that voters reject the measure.

Campaign finance

Donors to the campaign for the measure:

• Restore Oregons Term Limits Committee: $2,035,844
• Rainy Day Amendment Committee: $1,308,224
• Total: $3,344,068

Donors to the campaign against the measure:

• Oregonians for Voter Choice: $404,253
• School Employees Exercising Democracy: $352,398
• Nurses United PAC: $314,430
• Elections Are Term Limits: $192,403
• Oregon Public Employees Union PAC: $76,962
• Parents Education Association PAC: $34,154
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 701 PAC: $718
• Total: $1,375,319
• Overall Total: $4,719,387

See also

• List of term limits ballot measures
• U.S. Term Limits
• Term limits in the United States
• Oregon State Senate
• Oregon House of Representatives
• List of Oregon ballot measures
• Oregon 2006 ballot measures
• Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Oregon
• Laws governing the initiative process in Oregon

Suggest a link

External links

• Wikipedia's article on Oregon ballot measure 45
• 2006 Election Results
• 2006 Voter Guide
• 2006 Ballot Measure Details
• Now defunct Oregon Term Limits '06 campaign website on Internet Archive
• No on 45 campaign website
• Restore Oregon Term Limits Committee The Secretary of State's official recordings about the campaign.
• The "Yes on 45" campaign finance filings