6667 PASS

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Oregon tax hike measures win in January 26 vote

Less than 20 minutes after the polls closed at 8:00 p.m., the Oregonian reported that both tax hike measures on Tuesday's statewide ballot had won.[1][2]

With 72% of the vote counted, "Yes on 66" had 505,062 votes, and the "no" side had 396,697, with similar margins for Measure 67.

Oregon Measures 66 and 67 increase the state's corporate minimum tax, raise taxes on the state's high-income individuals and raise income taxes on businesses.

The vote on today's ballot measures represents a victory for Gov. Ted Kulongoski and the Democratic supermajority in the Oregon State Legislature.

Campaign finance figures reported so far indicate that supporters of the tax hikes outspent opponents by about $6.8 million to $4.5 million.

Oregon's traditional anti-tax activists were joined in the campaign to defeat the $733 million tax package via the veto referendum process by members of Oregon's business community including Oregon Associated Industries, Phil Knight of the Nike Corporation and the Northwest Grocery Association.[3]

The Oregon Education Association gave over $2 million to the "Yes" campaign, with a local SEIU affiliate kicking in $1.8 million. Final details that show total funds raised by each campaign won't be available until a month from now.[4]

References

1.Election results page of the Oregon Secretary of State's office
2.The Oregonian, "The Oregonian calls it: Measures 66 and 67 pass", January 26, 2009
3.Common Cause, "No on Measures 66 and 67 Updated January 26-Election Day"
4.Oregonian, "Spending totals for the tax campaigns"
Source: ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Oregon_tax_hike_measures_win_in_January_26_vote

See county by county results as of 10am 1/27/10

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