Panel recommends voters redirect the corporate income tax kicker refunds to
K-12 education
Salem - The Citizens' Initiative Review panel on Measure 85 has released
its findings, recommending 19 to 5 that Oregon voters support the initiative,
following a week of in-depth evaluation and discussions.
"After hearing from numerous advocates and experts, deliberating
extensively and agreeing on the key issues surrounding the measure, the majority
of participants concluded that Oregonians should vote yes on Measure 85," said
panelist Kathy Cooney of Beaverton. "But regardless of how each of us voted, we
all agree that our key findings will provide critical information to help
Oregonians in their own deliberations."
The work of the panel will be published in the fall voters' pamphlet that
is mailed to all Oregon voters. This Citizens' Statement will include the
position and reasoning taken by both the majority and minority of the panelists,
as well as key findings and policy considerations that the participants felt
were valuable to voters.
Measure 85 would amend the Oregon Constitution to redirect the corporate
income tax kicker refunds to K-12 public education. Among the panel's key
findings were:
* The corporate kicker funds are not guaranteed to increase K-12
funding because of the Legislature's discretionary spending of the General Fund.
The ballot measure earmarks the corporate kicker to fund K-12 education, but
does not prevent the redirecting of current funding resources to other
non-education budgets.
* The corporate kicker has had no effect on the stability of Oregon
revenue due to its unreliability.
* The corporate kicker has the potential to stabilize State spending
by introducing unexpected revenues to fill in funding gaps. (Oregon Office of
Economic Analysis)
* There is no evidence that the corporate kicker benefits or harms
corporations.
The Citizens' Initiative Review is an innovative model being pioneered in
Oregon to publicly evaluate ballot measures to provide voters with clear,
useful, and trustworthy information at election time. The first 2012 panel met
from August 6 to 10 at the Salem Convention Center and a second panel will meet
August 20 to 24 in Portland to review Measure 82, which would authorize the
creation of privately-owned casinos.
"Being a member of the panel gave me a chance to sit down with regular
folks like myself and have an honest, thoughtful discussion about the future of
our state. This was a refreshing change from the influence of media and sound
bite politics we are bombarded with daily," said Phoenix resident Terry
Helfrich. "It was a privilege to be a part of this important effort to educate
voters and empower citizens in our initiative process."
The Review panel was comprised of 24 registered voters from across the
state. Participants were selected using a random sample to ensure they reflected
the demographic diversity of the Oregon electorate. During the five-day event,
proponents and opponents of Ballot Measure 85 presented their arguments to the
panel, background witnesses provided additional testimony at the panelists'
request, and the panelists deliberated over the merits of the ballot
measure.
The Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review Commission was established by an act
of the Oregon Legislature in 2011. The Citizens' Initiative Review and Oregon
Citizens' Initiative Review Commission is funded entirely by contributions from
charitable foundations and individual donations. No state dollars go to support
the work of the CIR Commission. Law prohibits the CIR Commission from accepting
contributions from corporate or union treasuries.
For additional information about the Citizens' Initiative Review process,
the Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review Commission, or the convener of the 2012
CIRs, Healthy Democracy, please see the following websites:
Oregon Citizens' Initiative Review Commission: www.Oregon.gov/CIRC
Healthy Democracy & background of the CIR: www.healthydemocracy.org
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