Ore. Ballot Measure Review Panel Gears Up

Oregon voters get bombarded every two years with dramatic claims and counter-claims over the latest crop of ballot measures. Now, a panel of citizens is coming to the rescue.

The state Legislature last year voted to keep and expand an experiment with hiring average voters to cut through the drama and offer an objective view of ballot measures. The new Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission held its first meeting Wednesday in Portland.

It’s too early to know which initiatives will collect enough signatures before next month’s deadline to qualify for the ballot, but officials said there will probably be enough money for two of them to get an exhaustive review. The citizens’ analysis will go into the voter pamphlet mailed to all electors.