Political Picks - Ballot Measures

Election Day in the United States is still more than three weeks away. But here at home ballots will hit the post office next Friday, Oct. 21. So this election season we’re giving you our ballot recommendations in plenty of time for you to contemplate and respond to, if you like.

Today we’ll examine the selection of ballot measures to decide. This Saturday we’ll look at candidates for office, and this year we’ve decided to do something a little different. Instead of endorsing certain individuals and urging you to vote for them, we think it’s more constructive to suggest candidates to avoid. But that will come later this week. For now, here are our recommendations for both state and local level ballot measures.

On the state level are these questions:

• Measure 94 to repeal the mandatory judicial retirement age, which is currently 75 years old.
• Measure 95 to allow public state universities to invest in equities.
• Measure 96 to devote 1.5 percent of state lottery net proceeds toward veterans' services.
• Measure 97 to raise corporate taxes on businesses with annual sales that exceed $25 million.
• Measure 98 to require state funding for dropout-prevention and career and college readiness programs in Oregon high schools.
• Measure 99 to create an "Outdoor School Education Fund," sourced from state lottery proceeds, to support outdoor school programs.
• Measure 100 to prohibit the sale of products from and parts of 12 species of endangered animals.

We recommend voting yes on all but one — Measure 97, the corporate tax.