Oregon Minimum Corporation Taxes Initiative (2014)
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
| Voting on taxes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||
| Ballot measures | ||||||||
| By state | ||||||||
| By year | ||||||||
| Not on ballot | ||||||||
| ||||||||
A Oregon Minimum Corporation Taxes Initiative did not make the make the November 4, 2014 ballot as an initiated state statute. These measures were also known as Large Corporations Should Pay Their Fair Share, Invest In Oregon's Future and Cut Taxes for Small Business and Close Loopholes for Big Corporation. Six different proposed initiative were submitted with the intent of modifying the minimum corporation tax scheme in Oregon. Two versions would have changed how the tax applies to corporations with $10 million in sales and another two to those with $100 million in sales. The remaining two measures sought to increase annual minimum tax for higher-grossing corporations and decrease excise taxes for lower-grossing corporations.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Background
Oregon law at the time of the proposal of these initiatives required that corporations pay an annual minimum tax that increases incrementally based on the amount of Oregon sales reported. The annual minimum tax increased incrementally up to $100,000.[7][8]
Oregon was poised to become a battle ground regarding "right-to-work" initiatives. Multiple measures were proposed for and against restrictions on the use of payroll deductions and the process of negotiating such deductions. On March 3, 2014, Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) announced that several initiatives regarding this issue would be withdrawn following negotiations between the several opposing measure supporters. Thirteen measures were withdrawn due to this negotiation. The discussions were instigated by Gov. Kitzhaber in order to avoid the expensive campaigning battle that was likely to breakout between the opposing measures. The negotiations took several months to complete. The anti-payroll deduction proposals that were withdrawn due to this agreement were initiative petition 1 and initiative petition 9. The remaining withdrawn initiative petitions were union-backed measures, including initiative petitions 14, 15, 16, 18, 30 and 33, as well as 17 ,19, 29, 32 and 35. All of these measures, except for 35, were sponsored by Our Oregon.[9]
A measure prohibiting restrictions on payroll deductions and a measure prohibiting all payroll deductions from public employees to or on behalf of any public employee union for any purpose were not withdrawn due to these negotiations. However, as of June 6, 2014, neither petition had been approved to circulate, making both unlikely to reach the November ballot.[9]
Text of measures
Proposed initiatives 14 & 16
The certified ballot title for both proposed initiatives 14 and 16 read as:[1][3]
| “ | Modifies annual minimum tax for corporations with Oregon sales of $100 million or more[10] | ” |
The full text of the certified ballot title and summary for number 14 can be read here and for number 16 here.
Proposed initiatives 15 & 18
The certified ballot title for both proposed initiatives 15 and 18 read as:[2][4]
| “ | Modifies annual minimum tax for corporations with Oregon sales of $10 million or more[10] | ” |
The full text of the certified ballot title and summary for number 15 can be read here and for number 18 here.
Proposed initiatives 30 & 33
The certified ballot title for both proposed initiatives 30 and 33 read as:[5][6]
| “ | Increases annual minimum tax for higher-grossing corporations; decreases excise taxes for lower-grossing corporations[10] | ” |
The full text of the certified ballot title and summary for number 30 can be read here and number 33 here.
Support
All six versions of initiatives to change the minimum corporation tax were submitted by Patrick Green as the chief petitioner. Green sponsored two measures to increase the corporate excise tax and two measures to increase income taxes for the 2014 ballot, as well, but withdrew them all.[1][2][3][4]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Oregon signature requirements
Patrick Green filed proposed initiative petitions 14 and 15 on May 21, 2013. He then submitted number 16 on June 7, 2013, and number 18 on July 5, 2013. Number 30 was filed on September 17, 2013, and number 33 was filed on October 7, 2013. Versions 14 and 16 were the "Large Corporations Should Pay Their Fair Share" measures, which would have applied to corporations with Oregon sales of $100 million or more. Versions 15 and 18 were the "Invest in Oregon's Future" measures and would have applied to corporations with Oregon sales of $10 million or more. Versions 30 and 33 were the "Cut Taxes for Small Business and Close Loopholes for Big Corporations" measures, which would have increased annual minimum tax for higher-grossing corporations and decreased excise taxes for lower-grossing corporations. Green withdrew all of the measures on March 3, 2014.[1][2][3][4]
If Green had gone forward with the measures, a minimum of 87,213 valid signatures would have had to been collected by July 3, 2014 to place the measures on the ballot.
Similar measures
Oregon Corporate Excise Tax Increase Initiative (2014)
Oregon Income Tax Rate Increase Initiative (2014)
Oregon Voter Approval of Employee Rights Changes Initiative (2014)
Oregon No Dues Collection by Government Amendment (2014)
Oregon Prohibition of Restrictions on Negotiations for Payroll Deductions Amendment (2014)
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Oregon Secretary of State, Division of Elections, "Detailed Information For : 14/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Oregon Secretary of State, Division of Elections, "Detailed Information For : 15/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Oregon Secretary of State, Division of Elections, "Detailed Information For : 16/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Oregon Secretary of State, Division of Elections, "Detailed Information For : 18/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, "Detailed Information For : 30/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division, "Detailed Information For : 33/2014," accessed June 6, 2014
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Draft ballot title for proposed initiative #16," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Draft ballot title for proposed initiative #18," June 15, 2013
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 People's World, "Oregon ‘right-to-work’ initiative dropped," March 12, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
 |
State of Oregon Salem (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
