What measures are on the ballot for Oregon's 2024 election
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/09/26/1727382478047.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Oregon voters will decide whether to receive a $1,600 annual rebate through an increase in the corporate sales tax via a ballot measure that has received fierce pushback from lawmakers, local businesses and labor unions alike.
Why it matters: If Measure 118 passes, every Oregonian would receive an annual check, regardless of age or income, starting next year.
- The rebate would be paid for by a 3% gross receipts tax for all companies doing business in Oregon that make more than $25 million annually in sales.
- If passed, the new tax would generate $1.3 billion in revenue for the 2023-25 biennium, according to the Legislative Revenue Office.
The intrigue: This would be separate from the "kicker."
Catch up quick: The measure is one of five initiatives Oregonians will vote on this November that could alter how the state governs its elections, businesses and elected officials' salaries.
Here's a brief look at the other four measures.
Measure 115 would amend Oregon's constitution to allow the Legislature to impeach statewide elected officials — if both the House and Senate reach an affirmative two-thirds vote.
- Right now, Oregon is the only state without an impeachment doctrine.
Measure 116 would establish a commission to study and set the salaries and compensation for statewide elected officials.
- The yearly base pay for Oregon lawmakers is around $35,000. The study would look at all elected offices, including governor, secretary of state, judges, district attorneys, as well as state senators and representatives.
Measure 117 would establish ranked choice voting for federal and statewide elected offices.
- Portland voters will participate in the city's first-ever ranked choice election this fall, while Multnomah County voters will use the system in November 2026.
Measure 119 would essentially make it easier for cannabis workers to unionize by requiring cannabis retailers, processors and labs to submit a labor neutrality agreement with a union in order to request or renew their operating license.
The bottom line: The last day to register to vote in order to participate in the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 15.