We have fantastic news to share: the Secretary of State has disqualified IP43, the initiative petition that was an attempt to overturn our victory on the Driver’s Licenses for All bill (also known as HB 2015, The Equal Access to Roads Act) that passed the Oregon legislature earlier this year!
Driver’s Licenses For All was passed last year in the Oregon legislature due to the hard work of many of you and all of our allies around the state. The opposition, spearheaded by two petitioners, submitted enough signatures to qualify to receive a ballot title so that they could be certified to collect signatures to place their measure on the ballot. But, the Secretary of State has determined that their measure does not meet constitutional requirements and cannot move forward!
We received this communication from the Secretary of State’s office today:
“The Secretary of State is responsible for reviewing each initiative petition to ensure they comply with the procedural requirements established in the Oregon Constitution. Accordingly, after review and consistent with the Secretary’s duty to uphold the Oregon Constitution’s procedural requirements, the Secretary has rejected Initiative Petition 2020-043, proposed for the November 3, 2020, General Election. The Secretary has determined it does not comply with the procedural requirements established in the Oregon Constitution for initiative petitions. In particular, the Secretary has determined that the Initiative Petition does not comply with the requirements of Article IV, section 1(2}(d) of the Oregon Constitution.”
While this is a huge relief for all of us who worked to pass Driver’s Licenses for All, we can’t let down our guard. It is possible the petitioners will reconfigure their proposed ballot measure and file again. But, for now, they are not able to gather signatures or move forward.
What does this mean for us?
IP43 is no longer a threat, but other initiatives can still be filed to undermine the hard work we have done to pass Driver’s Licenses For All. We have been sharing pledge cards for a decline to sign campaign against IP43. Because of this victory, you do not need to circulate those pledge cards, but please continue the conversations with your neighbors!
You and your group can turn your energy to moving forward and away from protecting our victory – at least for the immediate future!
There is a lot to do looking toward 2020 as anti-immigrant scapegoating rhetoric dominates the airwaves. There will be several ballot measures put forward, and we’ll keep you up to date on those. There is on-going Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity that threatens us, our neighbors, and our communities. There are local issues that need our attention. What work is your group planning to take on? How can ROP support you?
We will remain vigilant, and we ask that you do too. Let us know if you see any other activity aimed at Driver’s Licenses For All or other anti-immigrant initiatives being pushed locally by emailing hannah@rop.org. In the meantime, we’re celebrating with you!