Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregonians will receive their voters’ pamphlets in the mail over the next few weeks.

And under a ruling by a Marion County judge Thursday, the pamphlet will include two identical statements by anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore.

The statements are attached in support of ballot measures 60 and 64, and are titled “Was Bill Sizemore railroaded?”.  They never mention the two initiatives.

Secretary of State Bill Bradbury’s office originally rejected the statements – saying they had nothing to do with the ballot measures.

Labor unions oppose both measures.

And Sizemore says the unions mentioned him in their voters’ statements.

Bill Sizemore: “They’re making the issue ‘vote no on the measure because Bill Sizemore is a bad guy.’ And defending myself in the voters’ pamphlet and setting the record straight doesn’t help me directly, but it helps stop them from defeating the measure.”

A spokesman for Defend Oregon, a union-backed political group, says Oregonians should know who is supporting which initiatives.

Measure 60 would base teacher pay raises on classroom performance, not seniority. Measure 64 would prohibit public employees from using state resources to collect money for political purposes.