Oregon court rules on union transparency measure

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Supreme Court partially sided with the sponsors of a union transparency initiative, after they appealed the title given to their proposal by the state Attorney General’s office.

In a Thursday ruling, the court ordered the attorney general to broaden the summary and title of the proposal, Initiative Petition 33, to include mention of new requirements it would place on the attorney general’s office.

The outcome amounted to a minor victory for sponsors of the measure, not affecting the legality or status of the proposed initiative, but marking a procedural advance for one of a pair of measures from the same sponsors that would affect unions in the state.

Ballot titles are intended to provide a concise, neutral description of a measure. They’re regarded as crucial information for voters who haven’t done homework on an issue, and the language is frequently challenged in court.

Initiative Petition 33 would require public unions to disclose information about how much money they collect from members and how they spend it, and would require the information to be posted online. Initiative Petition 34, a proposal from the same sponsors, would move Oregon toward becoming a right-to-work state, according to reports.

The order sends the measure back to state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum for modification.