Citizens Initiative Review Demonstration (2008)

From September 21 to September 25, 2008, Healthy Democracy Oregon conducted Oregon's first Citizens' Initiative Review. A panel of twenty-three registered voters from across the state convened in Salem to engage in the comprehensive examination of Ballot Measure 58, an initiated measure whose ballot title reads: "PROHIBITS TEACHING PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT IN LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS."

The citizen panel was assembled, using a stratified random sampling procedure, to reflect the demographic and residential patterns of Oregon's electorate as a whole. During the five-day event, advocates and opponents of Measure 58 presented their arguments before the panel, a range of background witnesses provided additional testimony at the panelists' request, and the panelists deliberated over the ballot measure in a series of professionally facilitated exercises.

At the end of the process, 14 panelists concluded to oppose Measure 58 while 9 panelists supported the proposal. The panel then developed a Citizens' Statement containing their conclusions about the ballot measure. The Statement provides voters with an informed analysis of the ballot measure, crafted by a panel of their peers.

Click here to read the CIR evaluation of Ballot Measure 58.