2010 Primary: OR Measure 68

May 18, 2010, Oregon Primary Election
Oregon State Measure 68

Referred to the Electorate of Oregon by the Legislative Assembly of the 2009 Regular Session

Revises Constitution: Allows state to issue bonds to match voter approved school district bonds for school capital costs.

The Way It Is Now
The State of Oregon cannot help local school districts pay for new school buildings or major repairs to existing buildings.

What Measure 68 Would Do Measure 68 would allow the State to sell bonds, which is like borrowing money, to help local school districts pay for new construction and repairs for schools. The state would give some of this bond money to match the funds that local school districts receive through local bonds approved by local voters. The State would repay the state bonds from a special school fund by using some lottery money.

LWVOR.org

[X] Yes

"'Yes' vote allows state to issue bonds to match voter approved school district bonds for school capital costs. Dedicates lottery funds for matching funds and repayment." OregonVotes.org "People FOR This Say: We need to repair existing schools, and sometimes need to build new schools. Measure 68 would make it less expensive for local school districts to pay for this because the state would provide matching money." LWVOR.org

[_] No

"'No' vote retains current law prohibiting state and restricting local districts from issuing bonds to pay for school capital costs, including acquisition, construction, repair and improvement." OregonVotes.org "No arguments in opposition to this measure were filed with the Secretary of State." OregonVotes.org "People AGAINST This Say: We don’t know all the information needed for starting a new bond match program and the effects it will have on local school districts." LWVOR.org "...We think that any change that encourages the state to drag the taxpayers further into hock is a bad change. This is a time to pay off debt, not rack up more of it. And so we're voting no on both measures..." BoJack.org

This seems like a relatively minor change to the bizarre way Oregon funds public education.