Oregon Values Held Strong on the 2018 Ballot

Oregon Environmental Council staff and board are feeling both grateful and energized to see how Oregonians voted on critical ballot measures in the 2018 midterm election. With 69.06% of eligible voters turning out across the state, Oregonians stood by healthy and safe communities as a priority. And Portland’s clean energy measure showed that Oregon is among the many states taking bold action to address climate change. The outcomes, as of 11/09/2018:

 

Measure 102: PASSED with 56.77% of the vote. This measure will help Oregon respond to the unprecedented squeeze on available affordable housing units, using a wider variety of strategies to make safe, healthy housing available for low-income Oregonians across the state. Voters in Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties also voted 59.27% in favor of a bond measure to fund affordable housing. ✓

Measure 103: REJECTED with 57.34% of the vote. Voters saw through this poorly crafted attempt at blocking taxes or fees on so-called “groceries,” which was far too broadly defined. Rejecting the measure makes it possible for OEC and others to work constructively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, agriculture, and beyond. ✓

Measure 104: REJECTED with 65.22% of the vote. If backers of this measure had succeeded in changing the constitution and limiting the legislature’s ability to fund programs, Oregon’s natural resources and the health of our shared environment would be in jeopardy. With the constitution intact, OEC is proud to work in a bipartisan manner to support our natural resource budgets and remove costly loopholes for polluters. ✓

Measure 105: REJECTED with 63.39% of the vote. Oregonians rejected an attempt to repeal Oregon’s law that protects immigrants and refugees from unjust racial profiling. By standing up for safe and inclusive communities, Oregonians reinforced the premise that we must work together to protect what we love. Together, we can find solutions to protect the climate, water, and air quality that we all share. ✓

Portland Clean Energy Fund: PASSED with 65.04% of voters. The measure shows that there is public will to get serious about Portland’s goal of 100% clean renewable electricity by 2035. The time to hold business accountable for their climate pollution is—yesterday. The measure also harnesses the power of clean energy projects, and the jobs that go with them, to support low-income communities and communities of color that bear the greatest impacts of climate change.  ✓

Oregon Environmental Council will be actively working with the Oregon Legislature during the 2019 Session on solutions to protect climate, water, and air quality. Stay tuned—and we’ll see you in Salem!

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2 Replies to "Oregon Values Held Strong on the 2018 Ballot"

  • James Rodell
    November 15, 2018 (7:17 pm)

    Please help us deal with forest fire smoke and other such causes of smoke not only in preventive ways, but also by letting us know what air filters and masks are effective and available to the public. You could begin a strong public dialog to develop initiatives to help people pay for preparing for such inimical air. I’ve read that normal home air purifiers can filter out .03 micron and above-sized particles. Are the most harmful particles smaller?

    Thank you. (I’m a contributor to the OEC.)

  • Beverly Barnes
    November 30, 2018 (1:43 am)

    Too many people are getting asthma and long last lung issues from the bad smoke in the Southern part of the State. This is going to tax our medical facilities and hurt the children and the elderly of the state. Homes are being built with lots of chemicals and plastics which are toxic when burned. Building materials should be reviewed and better planning for escape routes are needed. What happened in Paradise could happen in a number of small communities in the South and just as we have evacuation routes on the coast signs need to be posted inland in fire prone areas. That was one of the biggest hurdles for those people in Paradise was they were turned around and roads were closed off and a lack of notification was a major downfall. Not everyone has a cell phone and cell phone are worthless in a fire. You need a siren alert in the neighborhoods. That fire started early in the morning and people were in bed and most likely died because of that.