The Oregon Legislature needs to act decisively to address the many problems with Measure 37. Measure 37 is not the solution to whatever problems Oregon’s land use system might have. Measure 37 has created a mess of the state’s property law system that will take too long to resolve in the courts. It is the responsibility of our legislators to preserve the land use system, and resolve the legitimate concerns of citizens.
So far this session, legislators have invoked the “will of the people” as their reason for leaving Measure 37 alone. This might be a valid argument if Measure 37’s effect could be objectively understood; however, this is not the case. Among its many ambiguities, Measure 37 does not give guidance on how land should be valued, where the money for compensation should come from, or what remedies exist for neighbors harmed by a successful claim.
Legislators should provide guidance in this area by introducing legislation to clear up Measure 37’s ambiguities, and remove its most problematic provisions. At the least, legislators should institute a moratorium on Measure 37 claims to allow policymakers and state agencies a chance to catch up and do a better job of implementing the law. If nothing is done, Oregon’s property system will grind to a halt until the courts can create workable rules to navigate the mess that Measure 37 has made.

Jason Hartz
Eugene