Social justice advocates in Multnomah County sought to establish a Tenant Resource Program to provide free legal representation to any resident facing eviction, as well as other supports, funded through a small capital gains tax. Counsel assisted in writing the initiative. After it was filed, business groups challenged the ballot title for a variety of […]
Category: Political Law
Local Initiative to Divert Supportive Housing Service Funds Rejected as Unconstitutional
People for Portland, a dark money organization, proposed a local initiative to divert resources away from long term solutions to homelessness to a strategy prioritizing emergency shelters, sweeps, and criminalizing homelessness. The Metro Attorney rejected the initiative as violating procedural constitutional requirements and People for Portland appealed. Counsel submitted “friends of the court” arguments on […]
Local Initiative to Establish Universal Preschool in Multnomah County Properly Placed on Ballot
Social justice advocates in Multnomah County sought to establish Universal Preschool in Multnomah County by initiative. Counsel assisted in writing the initiative. After it was filed, business groups filed two lawsuits, one raising constitutional concerns, and the other challenging the ballot title. Advocates joined with Multnomah County Counsel to defeat those claims. The court certified […]
Secretary of State Could Not Reject Clean Energy Initiatives on “Single Subject” Grounds
Clean energy advocates filed two initiatives, IP’s 48 and 49 (2020), to promote and establish clean energy infrastructure and standards. The Secretary of State rejected both initiatives, claiming that because the proposals called for fair labor standards for clean energy-related construction projects, it impermissibly encompassed “two subjects.” Advocates filed a lawsuit in Marion County challenging […]
Initiative and Ballot Title Challenges
As anyone involved in ballot measure campaigns can attest to, the wording of the ballot title for a prospective initiative can make the difference in whether proponents will even gather signatures and, if the measure qualifies for the ballot, the difference between winning and losing a campaign. For almost 20 years, Margaret Olney has worked with […]
Oregon’s Domestic Partnership Law Successfully Defended
Margaret Olney successfully represented Intervenors Basic Rights Oregon in a lawsuit brought by a conservative religious foundation to qualify a referendum for the ballot that would have repealed Oregon’s domestic partnership law. We successfully defended the state’s signature verification process before the U.S. District Court and the Ninth Circuit, resulting in the domestic partnership law […]
Oregon Taxpayers United
Greg Hartman was lead counsel for the Oregon Education Association in a lawsuit against Oregon Taxpayers United as well as Oregon Taxpayers United Education Foundation, two organizations founded and operated by Bill Sizemore. After a three-week jury trial a Multnomah County jury found those defendants liable for racketeering as a result of which a judgment […]
Ban of Paid Signatures Upheld
Margaret Olney helped draft Measure 26, a ballot measure that bans the practice of paying per signature for initiative and referendum petitions. After it was approved by the voters, Margaret represented Chief Petitioners (as Intervenors) in a lawsuit by opponents claiming the measure unconstitutionally chilled political speech. The U.S. District Court and the Ninth Circuit […]
Fraudulent Signatures for Nader Identified
Margaret led the effort to identify fraudulent signatures and invalid sheets on nominating petition to place Ralph Nader on Oregon ballot. She then helped defend the Secretary of State’s decision to not qualify Nader for ballot.