Kevin Manix: Update on Seven Petitions

Petition 40
We filed 149,000 signatures on Initiative Petition 40, which establishes mandatory minimum sentences for drug dealing, identity theft, burglary, auto theft, grand theft, and forgery in the first degree. This is a statutory measure, and we need 82,000 verified signatures to qualify for the ballot. We are certain this will be on the ballot in November 2008 and will make a dramatic difference in fighting drug dealing and other crimes in Oregon.

Petition 41
We have filed 163,000 signatures on Initiative Petition 41, which dedicates 15% of lottery profits to public safety prevention, investigation, and prosecution. This constitutional amendment requires 110,000 verified signatures to get on the ballot, and we are certain we will qualify it for November 2008. This amendment will guarantee full funding to “CSI: Oregon,” which consists of the criminal investigation, forensics, and crime lab operations of the Oregon State Police. One half of the funds from this amendment will go to counties for prevention programs for very young children who are at-risk, as well as for sheriff field operations and for additional prosecutors.

Petition 54
Initiative Petition 54 is being circulated by volunteers. It is a constitutional amendment which empowers communities to regulate strip clubs. Because it is a volunteer effort, we will be working hard over the next year to get enough signatures by June 2008, the petition deadline.

Petition 51 and 53
I am also supporting Initiative Petitions 51 and 53, working with Russ Walker and FreedomWorks. These petitions are presently in circulation. They are statutory initiatives, which limit lawyer contingent fees in civil cases (51) and penalize lawyers for frivolous lawsuits (53). Signature gathering is proceeding at a fast pace.

We have initiatives to reform laws relating to immigration at the state level, but these are still tied up in ballot title contests in the Supreme Court.

Petition 118 and 134
The Oregon Initiative Restoration Act which was Initiative Petition 118, has been withdrawn and replaced by a virtually identical initiative still called the Oregon Initiative Restoration Act. This is now Initiative Petition 134. This is designed to again make the Oregon initiative and referendum process citizen-friendly and slash away the political tangles which have been adopted by the political elites to keep the people at bay.

Best regards,

Kevin
Kevin L. Mannix, p.c.
2009 state st.
salem, or 97301
503.364.1913 ofc.
503.362.0513 fax