Do you believe in democracy? Should every vote count?
If your answer is YES, read on. We need your help in contacting Oregon legislators.
We need the Oregon Legislature to right the wrong NOW that was perpetrated in 2013 against the voters of Josephine County. A ballot initiative to allow a local ordinance on Genetically Engineered (GE) seeds was passed by an overwhelming majority. That vote has never been recognized. It’s time to honor that public vote.
Every vote counts. We are asking legislators to recognize the Josephine County vote NOW.
How we got here:
After full public hearings on a seed pre-emption bill, SB 633 (a.k.a. Oregon’s Monsanto Protection Act), during the 2013 Regular Session, the proposal did not have enough support to pass. Later that year during the 2013 Special Session, this issue was used as a bargaining chip to secure support for the “Grand Bargain” on changes to the public employee retirement program, and Senate Bill 863, a statewide pre-emption on local ordinances concerning seeds, was passed.
In 2013 both Josephine and Jackson county voters were in the midst of the process to pass GE plant ordinances to protect local family farmers from the threats of GE contamination. On May 20, 2014, both ballot measures passed with strong public support. Jackson County’s vote was honored because their legislators, Senator Bates and Rep. Buckley, managed to exclude Jackson county from the restrictions of SB 863. However Josephine County’s vote was NOT honored, even though their voters passed their measure by more than 58%. That’s more than 16,000 votes that were not honored!
We need your help to correct this injustice.
You can help in 2 ways:
CONTACT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TINA KOTEK
Please send a letter or email ASAP and follow up with a phone call:
CONTACT YOUR OREGON STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Urge your Representative to talk to Speaker Kotek in support of a legislative solution so that the Josephine county vote is honored. Find your Representative here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/findyourlegislator/leg-districts.html
We have a short window of time to make this happen, so please contact Speaker Kotek and your Representative today!
Your letter, your email, your phone call can help restore the voice of the people of Josephine County. Please take action today. An avalanche of letters, emails, and phone calls from Oregon citizens to our representatives and Speaker of the House will make our collective voice heard.
The first line of your letter to House Speaker Kotek could say:
"I am writing to ask you to find a legislative solution to honor the public vote in Josephine County on May 20, 2014, for a local ordinance to protect against contamination from GE seeds and crops."
Samples of other kinds of things you can include:
Be a legislative hero for Josephine County and stand up for the will of the people.
Right this wrong.
Show that every Oregonian’s vote counts.
