Explanatory Statement

Ballot Measure 64 prohibits a public entity from using public resources to help collect money for some but not all political purposes.

Public resources cannot be used to collect:

• Money contributed to a candidate, political party, political committee or chief petitioner committee for an initiative or referendum petition.
• Money spent supporting or opposing a candidate for public office, a ballot measure or an effort to collect signatures to place a measure on the ballot.
• Money spent to solicit or discourage signatures for an initiative, referendum or recall petition.
• Money spent on any print, direct mail, electronic media or other mass media campaign that identifies a person who is a candidate for public office or identifies an issue that is the subject of a measure on the ballot in an election held within 90 days following the communication.
• Money that is passed through to another organization that uses it for a political purpose.

Public Resources can be used to collect:

• Money used to lobby an elected official.
• Money used to prepare and publish an official voters pamphlet and conduct elections.

Use of public resources, including public money, public employee time on the job, a public building, and public equipment or supplies is prohibited regardless of whether the public entity is reimbursed for the use of its resources.

It is also prohibited to comingle political funds with funds collected using a public resource in a bank account or otherwise.

Any person or entity that spends money in violation of the measure or commingles political funds with money collected using a public resource will be fined in an amount equal to twice the amount of money spent in violation of the measure and barred from gathering any money for any purpose at any time in the future using a public resource.

The measure prohibits several activities currently allowed under Oregon law.

For example:

• A public employer could not deduct part of the employee's wages, whether or not at the employees request, and transfer that deducted money to an organization that uses all or part of the money to support or oppose candidates, political parties, initiatives or ballot measures. Organizations that use public payroll deductions include unions, charities, insurance companies and financial institutions.
• An individual or organization could not use a public building for a meeting if at that meeting it collects contributions to candidates for public office or to be used in support or opposition of a ballot measure.

Committee Members:	Appointed by:
Alan Grosso	Chief Petitioners
Bill Sizemore	Chief Petitioners
Lynn Marie Crider	Secretary of State
Greg Hartman	Secretary of State
Jack Roberts	Members of the Committee

(This committee was appointed to provide an impartial explanation of the ballot measure pursuant to ORS 251.215.)