Advisory Question - Publicly Funded Universal Health Care for Oregon (Measure 2-95)

At their February 16, 2016 meeting, the City Council approved directly placing on the November 8, 2016 ballot an advisory question concerning publicly funded universal health care for Oregon.  The Advisory Question passed according to results provided on Benton County Elections website.  More information about the Advisory Question is provided below.

The City Attorney worked with Mid-Valley Health Care Advocates to draft a ballot title for Council's review, and at their July 5, 2016 meeting, the Council approved the following Ballot Title.

BALLOT TITLE 

CAPTION: 
2-95 Oregon Shall Have an Affordable Universal Healthcare System 

QUESTION:
Shall the Oregon legislature, through a public process, develop a health care system that serves all Oregonians? 

SUMMARY:
This non-binding advisory question asks whether the Oregon State Legislature in the 2017 session should establish a public process to develop a health care system that serves all Oregon residents. The goal of the public process is to develop a proposal that will be referred to voters or enacted by the legislature. The health care system it develops will follow the legislative intent of ORS 414.018 (2011) and Oregon Laws 2013, Chapter 712 in allowing all Oregonians timely access to comprehensive health care, improving availability of desired healthcare providers, having effective cost controls, and emphasizing preventative care. The process of development for this system shall begin with findings and recommendations from a study authorized by Oregon Laws 2015, Chapter 725 to be reported to the 2017 regular session of the Legislative Assembly.

Carla Holzworth, 
City Recorder 

The ballot title was first published on City's website on July 19, 2016 and in the Corvallis Gazette-Times on July 19.  No challenges were filed by the July 26, 2016 deadline.

On August 1, 2016, Measure number 2-95 was assigned by Benton County Elections.  The completed Notice of Measure Election, which includes the explanatory statement, is available here.

Advisory questions, which are unique to Corvallis and do not change any law, are permitted through the City's Municipal Code, Chapter 1.10.