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Oregon Measure 2, Energy Ownership, Development, and Funding Amendment (1977)
| Oregon Measure 2 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Energy market regulations and Hydroelectric energy |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Oregon Measure 2 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Oregon on November 8, 1977. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported repealing and replacing Article XI-D of the Oregon Constitution, which empowered the state to develop, control, operate, and lease hydroelectric power plants and transmission infrastructure and incur debt up to 1.5% of the state’s taxable property value to fund water power projects. The ballot measure would have allowed the state to fund the development of nonnuclear natural energy resources—such as hydroelectric, geothermal, and solar—through public or private utilities, with priority based on energy demand, and to issue bonds backed by the state in an amount up to 1% of the value of all taxable property. |
A "no" vote opposed repealing and replacing Article XI-D of the Oregon Constitution, thereby keeping the state's existing authority to own hydroelectric sites, develop and operate hydroelectric power plants and infrastructure, and incur debt up to 1.5% of the state's taxable property value to fund such projects. |
Election results
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Oregon Measure 2 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 105,219 | 43.32% | ||
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137,693 | 56.68% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Measure 2 was as follows:
| “ | DEVELOPMENT OF NONNUCLEAR NATURAL ENERGY RESOURCES Purpose: Repeals Oregon Constitution Article XI-D, Section 3. Creates constitutional provision requiring legislature to provide for management, conservation and development of nonnuclear natural energy resources. Authorizes state funding for public, private utilities or agencies for development or conservation thereof. Utilities and agencies operating in Oregon have priority in funds allocated and energy developed. Authorizes state debt and bonding not exceeding one percent true cash value of all taxable property in state to fund these provisions. ESTIMATE OF FINANCIAL EFFECT: Based on an estimate of Oregon’s 1978 taxable property, this act would establish a maximum bonding limitation of $439 million to provide for the Energy Conservation and Production Fund. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Constitutional changes
The ballot measure would have repealed and replaced Article XI-D of the Oregon Constitution. The following underlined text would have been added:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
SECTION 1. (1) The Legislative Assembly shall by law provide for the management, development and conservation of natural energy resources which are nonnuclear in nature. Such provisions shall enable development of hydroelectric, geothermal, solar and other natural energy resources available within the State of Oregon and for that purpose may authorize allocation of state funds to public or private utilities or agencies for the development or conservation thereof, except that priority shall be given in distribution of both the funds allocated and the energy developed to the public and private utilities or agencies operating within the State of Oregon in whole or in part in proportion to the share of Oregon’s energy demands each such utility or agency supplies at the time of the enactment of this section.
(2) Notwithstanding the limitations contained in sections 7 and 8, Article XI of this Constitution, the credit of the state may be loaned and indebtedness incurred in an amount not to exceed, at any time, one percent of the true cash value of all taxable property in the state for the purpose of providing funds with which to carry out the provisions of this Article. This section constitutes a grant of power to act, not a limitation.
SECTION 2. Bonds issued pursuant to section 1 of this Article shall be the direct obligation of the State of Oregon and shall be in such form, run for such periods of time and bear such rates of interest as shall be provided by law. Such bonds may be refunded with bonds of like obligation.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Oregon Constitution
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Oregon State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 31 votes in the Oregon House of Representatives and 16 votes in the Oregon State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ State Library of Oregon, "Oregon Voter Guide (1977)," accessed April 7, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
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State of Oregon Salem (capital) |
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