Two school, college bonding measures on Oregon's May primary ballot | Oregonlive.com

Two school, college bonding measures on Oregon's May primary ballot | Oregonlive.com

Two school, college bonding measures on Oregon's May primary ballot

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian

May 01, 2010, 10:00AM

Oregonians will vote in the May 18 primary election on two measures to expand and clarify the bonding authority of public schools, community colleges and universities seeking to buy, build or improve facilities.

Measure 68 would add a new article to the Constitution, permitting the state to raise matching money through general obligation bonds for local school district projects, much as it does now for community college and university construction.

A significant hitch, however, is the state has no matching money. And it probably won't through the 2011-13 biennium, said Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

The state will put money into a matching fund created by the measure, Buckley said, when "the state is back on firm financial footing."

A second proposal, Measure 69, amends the state Constitution to make it clear colleges and universities can use general obligation bonds to buy buildings as well as build them.

A strong bipartisan majority of the Legislature referred both measures, which have drawn broad support from education groups, including the Oregon Education Association and Oregon School Board Association. Neither measure faces organized opposition.

Measure 68 would allow the state to match money raised by local districts through voter-approved bonds for school capital projects. The Legislature would still need to define details for the change, such as how much of a match the state would offer.

The measure broadens the definition of capital costs to include furnishings, equipment, maintenance and repair, which cannot now be purchased with