Oregon Public Broadcasting

Bill Sizemore’s best hope for an Election Day victory has  come up short.

Ballot Measure 64 would have prohibited public employees from using state resources to collect money for political purposes.

It was at least the third time the issue had been on the ballot. And it might have passed, this time, had it not been for an overwhelming “no” vote in Multnomah County. Rob Manning has more.

Sizemore had five initiatives on the ballot. All five failed. In large part, that was due to the efforts of Oregon’s biggest teachers’ unions.

Gail Rasmussen: “We’re absolutely thrilled that once more and again, the voters of Oregon have answered the questions in regards to these bad ideas that keep being floated out to them.”

That’s Gail Rasmussen, the vice president of the Oregon Education Association. She says the vote on Measure 64 was closer than other Sizemore measures because it was harder to grasp.

Gail Rasmussen: “I think because it was confusing, there were those who were still confused at the very end, but the fact the Oregonians understood it, it didn’t pass.”

Former Republican lawmaker, Jeff Kropf supported Measure 64. He’s got another explanation for the outcome.

Jeff Kropf: “Well, $14 million in union money first of all against it.”

Kropf says he believes voters saw a fairness issue in banning the use of public resources  to collect money for political purposes.

Unions say the measure would have made it harder for public employees to donate to charities. Union-funded TV ads argued Measure 64 would have kept firefighters from advocating for safety standards.

Jeff Kropf: “It is a sad state of affairs when those opponents who are so concerned that this damages them politically, and removes their political power, that they’ll engage in the kind of absolutely deceptive, and what I think is outright lies, in terms of the effects of this."

In the end, Kropf says it’s important to ask voters questions like the one posed by Measure 64 - even if the answer turns out to be “no.”

Union leaders question the value of asking voters the same question over and over again. Kropf says there’s another good reason for bringing up such ideas - it’s strategic.

Jeff Kropf: “I think there is value in both the public debate on principle, and by golly, making them spend 14 million dollars to defeat a measure that is almost passing, and not spending that money to defeat perhaps other measures or other candidates that might be running for public office that believe in limited government.”

Gail Rasmussen with the Oregon Education Association acknowledges that the measures tend to dictate how the organization spends money. She says union money could be better spent helping solve probems.

Gail Rasmussen: “When we talk about the number of youngsters who don’t have adequate healthcare, if we talk about the number of schools that have had their own budgets slashed, of course, we would love to be involved in those efforts to improve society, and certainly, to help our students.”

Measure sponsor, Bill Sizemore declined OPB’s request for an interview. But in an e-mail, he alleges that the union-led campaign used libel and slander against him to make its case - and he may sue over it.

Allies of the unions said they would certainly see Sizemore again  in court.

The two sides are already facing off over a civil judgment unions won against Sizemore. The court date in that case comes up in December.