close
close

Pasteleria-edelweiss

Real-time news, timeless knowledge

Voters pass Measure 115 giving lawmakers impeachment power
bigrus

Voters pass Measure 115 giving lawmakers impeachment power

Voters approved Oregon’s Ballot Measure 115 on Tuesday, which gives lawmakers the power to remove elected officials statewide.

Removal of Elected State Executives Amendment It is one of three proposed amendments to the Oregon constitution that the Oregon Legislature sent to voters.

Offices eligible for impeachment and removal will be governor, secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller and labor commissioner.

Grounds for removal include “abuse of office or corruption, willful neglect of legal or constitutional duties, or other high crimes or felonies.”

Two-thirds of the House of Representatives would need to vote to impeach, then the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court would preside over the trial and the Oregon Senate would vote to convict or remove by a two-thirds majority.

If impeached, the elected official would be removed from office and barred from holding any public office in the state.

Oregon is the only state without an impeachment doctrine.

The state’s recall process requires the signatures of 15% of all voters in the previous election. Five unsuccessful attempts were made to collect enough signatures. Remember the Governor of that time. Kate Brown. 2021 recall effort against then-Senate Majority Leader Fred Girod Didn’t get enough signatures.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. reach out to him [email protected] or on Twitter @DianneLugo.