Law Would Freeze M37 Claims till Summer

The follwoing is a press release, 2-5-07, from Measure 37 Claimants for Fairness:

MEASURE 37 CLAIMANTS FOR FAIRNESS INC.
www.M37Fairness.org

New Legislation Would Put Most M37 Claims On Hold Until End Of Legislative Session

Wilsonville, OR. — A bill significantly limiting Measure 37 claimants’ rights was introduced today in the Senate of the Oregon Legislature. Senate Bill 505, co-sponsored by Democrats Senator Floyd Prozanski of Eugene and Representative Greg Macpherson of Lake Oswego, would place a hold on virtually all Measure 37 claims not involving the siting of a rural single-family home. Measure 37 Claimants for Fairness, the primary group representing claimants throughout Oregon, calls the bill “unfortunate and illtimed.”

“Senate Bill 505 is an unfortunate and ill-timed attempt to usurp the will of the voters,” said Jim Zupancic, President of Measure 37 Claimants for Fairness. “The so-called “˜express line’ for rural single family residences does not exist. The bill would preserve the Measure 37 rights of a few claimants outside of an urban growth boundary at the expense of every other claimant. If this bill passes, almost every Oregonian who has for the past two years relied on Measure 37 will be stuck in limbo.”

Senate Bill 505 freezes Measure 37 claims except for those who have obtained both a waiver and building permit by January 1, 200, a judicial proceeding filed before the effective date of the bill, or a person who agrees to build no more than a single-family residence outside of an urban growth boundary. Furthermore, a claimant seeking to enter the “express line” to site a single family residence would be required to sign a waiver of any other Measure 37 rights.

“The bill and its supporters seem to believe that the voters of Oregon did not know what they were doing when they passed Measure 37. The voters of Oregon deserve more credit than that and their decisions deserve more respect from elected representatives,” said Zupancic.

Measure 37 Claimants for Fairness plays a unique role in the Measure 37 debate. The Association does not take a position on the merits of any specific claim, but will pursue its primary mission to support and defend the current law as passed by an overwhelming majority of Oregonians.

To learn more, please contact Jim Zupancic at 503.277.9906 and visit the Association’s website at www.M37Fairness.org.

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