Oregon voters will decide four statewide ballot measures in November election

(OCTOBER 18, 2020) November 3 is Election Day. Voters will make many choices. Some are national, such as the president of the United States. Some are local, such as money for Portland Public Schools. Some are statewide.

A "measure" is an idea for a new law or a question about an important issue. Supporters say "yes" to approve the measure. Opponents say "no" to reject the measure. This year, voters in Oregon will decide four state ballot measures in the November 2020 general election.

Measure 107 is about money in elections. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon is one of only five states in the country that have no limits on how much money donors may give to state political campaigns." Political campaigns, which are sometimes called races, pay for all of the advertising, signs, and materials that try to convince you to vote for them. These campaigns are often very expensive. Some people or companies are able to give a lot of money to their favorite campaigns. In return, they sometimes get a lot of influence in the campaign's decisions. This measure wants to limit money and require disclosure ("disclosure" means that campaigns must tell everyone where their money comes from). However, this measure doesn't create these things by itself. Instead, this measure gives power to state and local governments to create those rules in the future.

Measure 108 is about cigarette taxes. If voters say "yes," then the tax on cigarettes in Oregon increases from $1.33 to $3.33 per pack. The measure also starts a new tax on e-cigarettes. Supporters want the taxes to be similar to Washington and California. That will keep some business in the state. 90% of the tax money will go to the Oregon Health Authority; it will pay to help sick people, especially those with mental illness. "The remaining 10% would go to tribal health providers and other culturally specific health programs for tobacco cessation efforts," reports Oregon Public Broadcasting. Smokers typically are against this measure because they would have to pay more money when they buy cigarettes.

Measure 109 is about using "magic mushrooms" for special treatments. These hallucinogenic mushrooms contain psilocybin, which is a type of illegal drug. However, many people believe psilocybin helps to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other illnesses. The new law would permit people to use the drug under the supervision of a therapist only. Many patients and therapists support this idea. However, some are against it. For example, the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association says, “We believe that science does not yet indicate that psilocybin is a safe medical treatment for mental health conditions.”

Measure 110 decriminalizes the possession of certain drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. "Decriminalization" means people with these drugs will get a choice: pay a fine or participate in health care. Supporters say they want people with addictions to go to medical treatment, not jail. If supporters win, Oregon will be the first state in the country to do this. Opponents are worried that the new law is too weak. They also say that there might not be enough money to pay for the health treatments.