Measure 110 Overhaul Effort Seeks to Expand Its Coalition

In the days leading up to the ballot initiatives being filed, an unusual request surfaced on social media.

RISE UP: Political signage on a vacant Portland office building. (Brian Burk)
By Sophie Peel

A group of longtime politicos filed two ballot initiatives earlier this week that would dramatically remake Measure 110 by recriminalizing possession of hard drugs and shifting oversight of addiction treatment funds away from the Oregon Health Authority.

The campaign will be handsomely funded: While no contributions have yet been reported to the state by The Coalition to Fix Ballot Measure 110 (its political action committee awaits processing by the state), the group released a list Sept. 18 of its top donors. They include Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle; the Goodman family, which controls most downtown parking garages; real estate mogul Jordan Schnitzer; and Ed Maletis, chairman of the Portland Bottling Company.

In the days leading up to the ballot initiatives being filed, an unusual request surfaced on social media. Longtime political affairs operative Vikki Payne placed a request on Nextdoor, stating that the backers of the overhaul were looking for a “female person of color to round out their public facing backers/ballot petitioners listed on a ballot measure effort to overturn aspects of Measure 110.”

Payne instructed anyone who “fits the identity criteria” to reach out by email.

Payne tells WW she posted the message after communicating with someone within the coalition. The ballot initiative’s backers did not respond to a request for comment.

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