OR Measure 62: Allocates 15% of Lottery to Public Safety

AMENDS CONSTITUTION: ALLOCATES 15% OF LOTTERY PROCEEDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY FUND FOR CRIME PREVENTION, INVESTIGATION, PROSECUTION OR Elections: SUMMARY: Amends constitution. Constitution currently apportions lottery proceeds to create jobs, further economic development, finance public education. In addition to those uses, measure requires 15% of net lottery proceeds deposited in public safety fund. 50% of fund moneys are distributed to counties for grants for the followings: 20% for early childhood programs for at-risk children; 15% to supplement district attorney operations; 15% to county sheriffs' investigations, field operations. Allocates grants to county under formula: 30% divided equally on per-county basis, 70% divided on population basis. Measure dedicates 50% of proceeds to state police criminal investigation, forensic operations. Measure prohibits legislature from limiting expenditures from fund. Funds to prosecution, sheriffs not a substitute to existing funds. Other provisions.
[_] Yes	“Yes” vote amends constitution to allocate 15% of lottery proceeds to public safety fund; reduces percentage of funds available for other lottery-funded programs. "Yes": • OR "Family" Council: "Lean toward a 'YES'" • Victoria Taft
[X] No	“No” vote retains current list of authorized purposes for spending lottery proceeds; rejects amending the constitution to allocate specific percentage of proceeds for public safety. EMO (pdf): ". . . This is a shell game that creates no new revenues for badly underfunded programs, but simply writes into the state constitution a permanent preference for funding for law enforcement over funding for education, economic development and environmental preservation. . . " "No": • WWeek • Portland Mercury • The Oregonian • Portland Tribune • Basic Rights OR • OR Working Families Party • Ecumenical Ministries (pdf) • League of Women Voters • NARAL Pro-Choice • Sierra Club • Jack Bogdanski

FIRST IMPRESSION: I'm weary about using funds from an "entertainment" program to fund essential public safety programs while removing funding to vulnerable programs. Isn't public safety all taxpayers responsible to properly fund -- not just lottery players? The provision stating that the lottery funds will not be a "substitute to existing funds" sounds nice, but is probably unenforceable. The language is a little confusing as to how lottery proceeds are currently allocated and what programs this constitutional amendment will reduce. I need to learn more.