Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, national president of the League of Women Voters, visited Eugene Monday to support Oregon Ballot Measure 6, which would give public funding to candidates who limit the private contributions they receive.
Speaking in front of approximately 15 people at City Hall, Jefferson-Jenkins said campaign finance reforms, such as those proposed under Measure 6, would give citizens more of a voice in the political system while giving them more candidates to choose from.
“We must put citizens back in the driver’s seat of American government,” Jefferson-Jenkins said.
The measure would give candidates running for state offices $25,000 to use for their campaigns. To qualify for public funding, candidates must limit private contributions and receive a specified number of $5 contributions from Oregon residents. Candidates running for governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general and legislative seats would be able to choose whether to seek the public campaign funding.
If Measure 6 passes, Oregon will follow only four other states — Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont — that have passed similar measures. After her address Monday, Jefferson-Jenkins headed toward Missouri, the other state this year with a measure similar to Measure 6 on the ballot.
“Oregon can set the direction for reform across the country,” Jefferson-Jenkins said. “Campaign finance needs to be reformed because the political system needs to be reformed. Both go hand in hand.”
The League of Women Voters of Lane County is supporting Measure 6 because they want to see an increase in grassroots campaigning, Dian Smissar, a member of Lane County’s league, said.
“Measure 6 forces grassroots politics so that politicians know who they are representing,” Smissar said. “I would rather put campaigns back in the hands of the everyday voter. I think the taxpayer’s dollar is a more sound dollar to apply toward voting issues than the corporate dollar.”
Measure 6 is faced with heavy opposition, most noticeably from Oregon Taxpayers United, an anti-tax organization that placed six measures on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Becky Miller, an executive assistant for Oregon Taxpayers United, said she is voting no on Measure 6.
“Measure 6 would support candidates people don’t agree with,” Miller said.
Another problem opponents see in Measure 6 is that it will not completely solve the problem of corruption in campaign financing.
“The power to be gained in elections is so great, there will always be corruption,” Miller said. “There are ways to corrupt Measure 6, and taxpayers would have to pay for it.”