Progressive groups withdraw endorsements of Oregon’s ballot measure 118

By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle

At least four progressive organizations that previously backed an Oregon ballot measure to hike taxes on businesses and divide proceeds among all Oregonians have withdrawn their support.

Voters will decide Nov. 5 whether to approve Measure 118, which proponents say would give about $1,600 annually to all Oregonians by making corporations pay more. Opponents across the political spectrum, citing analysis from state economic researchers, warned that it would raise prices and blow a hole in the state’s budget.

The measure, largely funded by wealthy Californians, earlier this month trumpeted endorsements from the Community Alliance of Tenants and Portland Tenants United, bringing its total number of endorsements to nine — but it counted endorsements from 11 groups in July, an archived version of the measure’s website shows. Four progressive groups — the Oregon Working Families Party, the farmworkers union PCUN, Democratic Socialists of Eugene and LIUNA (Laborers Local 483) — quietly walked back their support in the past few months.

The measure retains support from some other progressive organizations, including the Oregon Progressive Party, the Pacific Green Party and the Oregon chapter of Progressive Democrats of America. Antonio Gisbert, chief petitioner for Measure 118, dismissed the organizations that withdrew their endorsements as not being brave enough to buck politicians he says are obliged to corporate donors.

“It is no surprise to us that some organizations felt pressure to walk back support once elected officials began a concerted effort to denounce Measure 118 in favor of their corporate donors,” he said. “This is sadly how Salem works. Nothing has changed in the content of the ballot measure, nor in the reasoning for their initial endorsements. We know that political change requires significant courage, which is why we are proud and encouraged by all the support Measure 118 has received from both community organizations and individuals across the state.”

Annie Naranjo-Rivera, state director of the Working Families Party, told the Capital Chronicle that the party still supports a wealth tax, but that Measure 118 had too many problems.

“We were looking forward to supporting a measure that funds the care, support and services our families need by making big corporations pay what they owe — it’s one of the backbones of the Working Families Party’s legislative agenda,” Naranjo-Rivera said. “But this measure has flaws, and it would potentially take resources from our communities and harm our families economic well-being.”

The Working Families Party now has a neutral stance on Measure 118, neither endorsing it nor joining the large coalition opposing it. Representatives of the three other former endorsers did not return phone calls or emails Monday.

The Oregon Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LIUNA, now opposes only Measure 118 on its list of 2024 endorsements. The campaign arm of PCUN left Measure 118 off its endorsement list, while it’s supporting other ballot measures.

A political action committee organized by Oregon Business and Industry has raised more than $15 million to defeat the measure, with more than $1.8 million from a political action committee funded by grocers and hundreds of thousands from other Oregon businesses. Our Oregon, a coalition of unions, environmental groups and civil rights groups, also has two political action committees that oppose the measure.

• Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit Salem-based news service that focuses its reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy.