Voters want to decide on major issues in Oregon

This past September the Baker County Republican Party began a petition drive to get several measures on the ballot so the people can make the decision on important issues rather than Salem.

We had over 25 people circulating petitions in the county. We had all the petitions at our booth at the Halfway Fair over Labor Day weekend.

We did two petition drives in Baker City at the park. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Almost 100 percent of the people who came to the tables thanked us profusely for doing this. We had people from all political parties and walks of life come to sign. People are visibly mad at what is going on with the state legislature and the governor’s office. We had hundreds of people create a steady backed up line each day we set up the table at the park.

All total, Baker County submitted almost 1,000 signatures for all five measures. These were Initiative Petition No. 1, to stop tax dollars for abortions; No. 5, proof of citizenship for voter registration; No. 22, stop sanctuary state status; No. 301, stop tax on health care insurance premiums; and No. 302, repeal gun confiscation law.

Here are the results: No. 302, to repeal the gun confiscation bill did not get enough signatures. Please remember Governor Brown delayed signing this bill and cost us 39 days of petition gathering time. Another 30 days and we would have qualified. This being a referendum we cannot get an extension. But rest assured we are not done with this issue.

No. 301 will be on the ballot. Signatures collected were certified and this petition had the full legal time to collect signatures.

Initiative petition No. 1 has an extension to the end of the year. No. 5 and No. 22, both can be collected through July 2018.

If anyone wants to help collect signatures, please let me know and we will get you the petition forms and instructions. Call me at 541-519-5035.

It was heartwarming to have the good citizens of Baker County, from all parties participate in the petition drive. All is not lost here in Oregon and meeting and talking with each one of you who signed, who circulated petitions proved that.

Suzan Ellis Jones

Baker County Republican Chair