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SALEM (AP) — Oregon legislative Democrats have appointed a special panel to write ballot titles for two tax increases that will appear on the January ballot — a politically touchy task that's open to accusations of bias.
Opponents of the tax increases said Thursday they are worried that the majority Democrats will try to write ballot titles with wording aimed at persuading Oregonians to vote “yes” on the tax hikes on corporations and higher-income individuals.
Pat McCormick, spokesman for the business-backed group that's trying to repeal those taxes, said ballot titles are important because they are the last thing some people read about an issue before voting. They should be drafted by the attorney general's office, not legislators, he said.
“Whatever you want to call it, it is politicized when you have partisan lawmakers writing the titles,” McCormick said.
Democratic lawmakers say they've set up a fair and open process to have a committee — with four Democratic members and two Republicans — handle the task of drawing up the language, which then would be subject to appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.
“The committee will write a ballot title that will make it clear to voters what they are voting on,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem.
Oregon voters will be asked in January whether they want to uphold the Legislature's $733 million tax package, which raises corporate taxes and income taxes on wealthier individuals.
The Democratic-led Legislature said the tax increases are needed to balance the budget and to protect schools and safety net programs from budget cuts. They also said the higher taxes are aimed at those who can most easily afford to pay them.
Business groups who mounted the campaign to force a statewide referendum vote on the issue say the two taxes will prolong Oregon's economic slump and cost the state jobs.
McCormick said the wording of a ballot title can have a big impact on the outcome of a measure. He contends the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2007 wrote a biased title for a state land use measure that likely helped it win voter approval.
To make the land use measure more palatable to voters, the Legislature fashioned a ballot title that emphasized the preservation of farm and forest land but soft-pedaled new restrictions on development, he said.
Opponents of the tax increases said Thursday they are worried that the majority Democrats will try to write ballot titles with wording aimed at persuading Oregonians to vote “yes” on the tax hikes on corporations and higher-income individuals.
Pat McCormick, spokesman for the business-backed group that's trying to repeal those taxes, said ballot titles are important because they are the last thing some people read about an issue before voting. They should be drafted by the attorney general's office, not legislators, he said.
“Whatever you want to call it, it is politicized when you have partisan lawmakers writing the titles,” McCormick said.
Democratic lawmakers say they've set up a fair and open process to have a committee — with four Democratic members and two Republicans — handle the task of drawing up the language, which then would be subject to appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.
“The committee will write a ballot title that will make it clear to voters what they are voting on,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem.
Oregon voters will be asked in January whether they want to uphold the Legislature's $733 million tax package, which raises corporate taxes and income taxes on wealthier individuals.
The Democratic-led Legislature said the tax increases are needed to balance the budget and to protect schools and safety net programs from budget cuts. They also said the higher taxes are aimed at those who can most easily afford to pay them.
Business groups who mounted the campaign to force a statewide referendum vote on the issue say the two taxes will prolong Oregon's economic slump and cost the state jobs.
McCormick said the wording of a ballot title can have a big impact on the outcome of a measure. He contends the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2007 wrote a biased title for a state land use measure that likely helped it win voter approval.
To make the land use measure more palatable to voters, the Legislature fashioned a ballot title that emphasized the preservation of farm and forest land but soft-pedaled new restrictions on development, he said.
