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Recommendations: <br /> 1 • Oppose any legislation to repeal provisions of the statewide policy which <br /> preserve more prohibitive locally enacted ordinances regulating smoking in <br /> public places and places of employment. <br /> Support any legislation to enact restrictions similar to Eugene's on a statewid <br /> basis. e <br /> H• USE OF THE INITIATNE PROCESS, ELECTION REFORM <br /> Oregon has two systems of lawmaking; one by the people themselves (the initiative process) and <br /> one by their elected representatives (the State Legislature and local government bodies), This <br /> dual system serves the public interest best when the strengths of each system offset the <br /> weaknesses of the other. <br /> The number of statewide initiatives measures has steadily increased in recent electio <br /> ns. As a <br /> result, some problems have arisen that affect both state and local government in Oregon. While <br /> state and legislative bodies are required to balance budgets, initiative lawmaking is under no s <br /> constraints, Some initiative measures have imposed heavy financial burdens on state and loc uch <br /> governments, and yet made no provision to paying the cost of those burdens. Several initiatives <br /> have enacted new programs or policies directly into the state constitution rather than by statute, <br /> creating difficulties of interpretation, implementation and financing, The ability of the State <br /> Legislature to respond is also limited. <br /> Initiative campaigns are increasingly placed on the ballot by private sponsors, withou <br /> t public or <br /> legal review, and are promoted by professional high-tech campaigns. Voters are faced with a <br /> dizzying array of complex measures on their ballots. Reforms are needed to ensure that the <br /> initiative process is no longer distorted and balance is retuned to the system. <br /> Recommendations: <br /> 1 • Support proposals to increase the number of signatures required for an inif <br /> constitutional amendment. sated <br /> 2• Support proposals to limit the extent to which an initiated constitutional amendme <br /> require the state and/or local governments to make appropriations or incur expenditur sn <br /> in excess of a certain amount to be fixed bylaw. <br /> 3• Support legislation requiring that prospective petitions be submitted to an a <br /> state agency (Legislative Counsel or Attorney General) for advisory techni ap rep sew <br /> prior to approval for circulation. <br /> <br /> City of Eugene Legislative Policies, 2005 Session <br /> 54 <br /> <br />