Democratic incumbent state senator for district 4, Floyd Prozanski, and Republican challenger Marilyn Kittelman  disagree on most of the hot topics in this midterm election, but perhaps none more vehemently than crime as seen by their opposing views on Measure 73.
Measure 73 would expand current “Mandatory Minimum” laws by increasing current minimum sentences for repeated sex offenders and imposing minimum incarceration sentences for those who incur repeated driving under the influence convictions.
State Senate District 4 is currently represented by Prozanski, a practicing municipal prosecutor and former assistant district attorney who believes he is fluent in public safety policy. Prozanski opposes Measure 73 on the basis that it isn’t the most effective way to combat criminal activity and isn’t affordable in Oregon’s current state of budgetary crisis.
“The general fund is already under stress,” Prozanski said. “We are still struggling to pay for Measure 57.”
Oregon voters passed original mandatory minimum laws in 2008 in the form of Measure 57. This law allots large sums of money from the general fund to extend minimum sentences for persecutors of certain crimes.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office estimates in this election season’s voter’s pamphlet that Measure 73 “would require additional state spending of $1.4 million in the first year, $11.4 million to $14.6 million in the second year, $13.9 million to $21.0 million in the third year, $16.7 million to $26.6 million in the fourth year and $18.1 million to $29.1 million each year after that.”
The state’s general fund is a large state account funded completely through taxes on corporations and individuals, which are then appropriated by the state and used in three major areas: education, human services and public safety.
Prozanski is anxious over the fact that the state of Oregon now spends more on correctional institutions than on education.
“One of the things that concerns me is we now spend more for prisons than we do for education,” he said. “This is wrong. It doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have prisons … but preventative crime fighting has to be a consideration.”
Prozanski referenced a study he conducted in 1995 in collaboration with the University on the correlation between higher education and crime rates.
“We know that for every one dollar invested in education, between seven and 15 dollars can be saved in public safety costs, and between seven and eleven dollars in human services.” Prozanski said. “I can say conservatively we save $14 or more for every one dollar we put into educating young Oregonians … (e)ducation is the biggest crime-fighting tool I have.”
Kittelman attacks Prozanski for being soft on crime but trying to make criminals out of regular Oregonians with nitpicky laws. She cites the recently passed law that requires Oregon hunters under the age of 18 to wear orange vests.
“I support Measure 73 because it’s multiple times they’ve been arrested,” she said. “We have to listen to the voters, and that’s where we want our taxes, not some of these other laws that interfere with our freedoms.”
Kittelman is a business owner in Douglas County without any political experience at the state level. She  is endorsed by Oregon Anti-Crime Analysis, the same group that organized the petition for Measure 73, and also has the endorsement of National Rifle Association and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Kittleman has also spoken at several Tea Party events.
“I signed the ‘Taxpayer Protection Pledge’ promising to vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes,” Kittelman said to voters via the election season’s voter’s pamphlet.
Despite her hardline politics, her campaign slogan promotes a message of unity.
“My slogan is hippies and rednecks unite,” she said. “They don’t often agree with each other, but the desire for freedom is something we all have in common.”
Prozanski has been a state senator for 6 years and has represented the University’s District in the State Legislature since 1994. He is endorsed by the Oregon State Police Officers Association and the Fire Fighters Council.
Kittelman said the choice between herself and the incumbent state senator this race couldn’t be more polarized.
“If you put a number line out, we are as far apart as you can possibly get.” Kittelman said. “On crime, on everything.”
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