Oregon Corporate Tax "Kicker" Funds for Education Initiative, Measure 85 (2012)

Corporate Tax "Kicker" Funds for Education Initiative
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Type:	Constitutional amendment
Constitution:	Oregon Constitution
Referred by:	Citizens
Topic:	Taxes
Status:	a

An Oregon Corporate Tax "Kicker" Funds for Education Initiative, Measure 85, was on the November 6, 2012 statewide ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment, where it was approved. The measure was sponsored by Our Oregon.

Election results

See also: 2012 ballot measure election results

Oregon Measure 85
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		1,007,122	59.90%
No		672,586	40.10%

Official results from the Oregon Secretary of State.

Text of measure

The official ballot title was:

Amends Constitution: Allocates corporate income/excise tax "kicker" refund to additionally fund K through 12 public education

Result of "Yes" Vote: "Yes" vote allocates the corporate income and excise tax "kicker" refund to the General Fund to provide additional funding for K through 12 public education.

Result of "No" Vote: "No" vote retains existing corporate income and excise tax "kicker" that requires refund to corporations when revenue exceeds estimated collections by two percent or more.

Summary: Amends constitution. Before each biennium, the governor must prepare an estimate of revenues expected to be received by the General Fund for the next biennium. The General Fund is the primary funding source for schools, prisons, social services other state-funded programs/services. Current law requires an automatic "kicker" refund of corporate income and excise tax revenue when that revenue exceeds estimated collections by two percent or more. Measure allocates the corporate income and excise tax "kicker" refund to the General Fund to provide additional funding for K through 12 public education. Measure does not change the constitutional personal income tax "kicker" provision that requires a refund to individual taxpayers when personal income tax revenue exceeds estimated revenue by two percent or more. Other provisions.

Support

Defend Orgeon led the campaign in support of the measure.

Opposition

No formal opposition was identified.

Polls

See also: Polls, 2012 ballot measures

• According to a SurveyUSA poll conducted from September 10 to September 13, 2012, 14 percent of respondents were certain to vote 'yes' on the measure, while 21 percent were certain to vote 'no,' and another 65 percent were not certain which way they would vote. The survey interviewed 700 Oregon citizens and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.

Legend      Position is ahead and at or over 50%     Position is ahead or tied, but under 50%

Date of Poll	Pollster	In favor	Opposed	Undecided	Number polled
Sep. 10-13, 2012	SurveyUSA	14%	21%	65%	700

Path to the ballot

See also: Oregon signature requirements

In order to qualify for the ballot, supporters were required to collect a minimum of 116,283 valid signatures by July 6, 2012. The measure was approved for circulation on April 17, 2012. On July 27, 2012, the Oregon Secretary of State reported that the measure had received sufficient signatures and therefore qualified for the ballot.

See also

• Oregon 2012 ballot measures
• 2012 ballot measures