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Comment Deadline Extended On Proposed Change To Oregon's Initiative Process

<p>Dennis Richardson poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 2, 2017.</p>

Bradley W. Parks

Dennis Richardson poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson has extended a deadline to submit comments about a proposed change to the state's initiative process.

Oregonians originally had until the end of the day Friday. Now, they can submit comments into the public record until Sept. 14.

It comes as the Secretary of State's Office is hearing from supporters and opponents of the proposed change.

Currently, people who want to gather signatures for an initiative have to wait for an approved ballot title. Richardson, a Republican in his first term, wants to let initiative campaigns gather signatures before the ballot title is finalized.

He said special interest groups can effectively quash an initiative effort by filing "frivolous lawsuits" to delay the process.

But left-leaning groups are accusing Richardson of changing the rules to help his political supporters.

Andrea Williams of the Latino-advocacy group CAUSA said the rule change would lead to misinformation.

"Without legally vetted language, signature-gatherers will be engaging voters in a conversation that's more inaccurate, more misleading and possibly more alarmist than need be," Williams said during a public hearing on the proposal.

But Jim Ludwick of the group Oregonians for Immigration Reform, which is trying to get an initiative on next year's ballot to repeal Oregon's "sanctuary state" law, rejected the idea that signature-gatherers would act deceptively.

"We're an honest group. We don't need to lie to people to collect signatures," he said.

If Richardson proceeds with his proposed rule changes, it's possible they would be challenged in court.

Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, about whether Richardson has the authority to make the change without legislative input.

In response, Legislative Counsel Dexter Johnson wrote that "our preliminary conclusion is ... that the secretary does not have the authority to enact the proposed administrative rules."

The legislative counsel's opinion does not in and of itself prevent the Secretary of State from implementing the rules, however.

Copyright 2017 Oregon Public Broadcasting