2002 Oregon Ballot Measure 25

Ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage Ballot Measure 25 of 2002 increased Oregon's minimum wage from $6.50 to $6.90 per hour and required an annual increase to compensate for inflation in future years. Inflation is measured by the consumer price index. 2015, the minimum wage in Oregon is $9.25 an hour. The measure was approved in the November 5, 2002 general election with 645,016 votes in favor, 611,658 votes against.Itemized Measure Listings, Measure 25 page 17 https://web.archive.org/web/20251003191748/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Documents/elections/initiative.pdf 2025-10-03 The measure was placed on the ballot as a result of initiative petition.The measure is codified as enacted at ORS . Arguments for and against Proponents included labor unions, the Oregon Catholic Conference, and other advocates for the working class and the poor. They pointed out the difficulty of raising a family on the current minimum wage, and argued that tying the minimum wage to inflation was more fair. Rather than teenage workers, supporters argued that many minimum wage earners were adults supporting children.Oregon State Library: Voters' Pamphlet: November 5, 2002, Measure 25 - Arguments in Favor Opponents feared that a minimum wage increase would prolong the recession Oregon was experiencing at the time, pointed out that Oregon already had a relatively high minimum wage (compared with other U.S. states), and argued that indexing the wage to the consumer price index would unfairly punish rural communities, since the CPI is based on prices in cities.Oregon State Library: Voters' Pamphlet: November 5, 2002, Measure 25 - Arguments in Opposition minimum wage Detailed history The measure was sponsored by future Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries Dan Gardner and state Representative Diane Rosenbaum.Sinks James Oregon lawmakers turn to initiatives more frequently https://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051107/NEWS0107/511080302/1001= The Bend Bulletin November 7, 2005 2007-05-31 In 2003, the Republican-controlled Oregon House of Representatives approved a bill (House Bill 2624) that would repeal the part of Measure 25 that ties the minimum wage to inflation.Esteve Harry Minimum wage raise killed in house bill The Oregonian April 2, 2003 As of April 2003, however, observers did not expect the bill to pass the Oregon State Senate (which was then evenly split between Republicans and Democrats) or be signed by Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski.Public NewsRoom The bill was not taken up in the Senate's 2003 session,http://www.leg.state.or.us/cgi-bin/searchMeas.pl Archived copy 2007-01-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20070309074711/http://www.leg.state.or.us/cgi-bin/searchMeas.pl 2007-03-09 dead and the Senate is now majority Democrat, suggesting it is unlikely to be taken up in the foreseeable future. November 2010 Results Ballot Measure 25 Concerns Raising the Minimum Wage Oregon 645,016 611,658 2002 Oregon Initiative Measure 25 results by county.svg County resultsYes: #B6C8D9 50–60% #7D9CBB 60–70%No: #DEDEBD 50–60% #BCBC83 60–70% Measure 25 (2002) 645016 611658 69.1 1872615 Oregon State Elections DivisionNovember 5, 2002, General Election Abstract of Votes - STATE MEASURE NO. 25 Statistical Summary - 2002 GENERAL ELECTION See also Oregon Ballot Measure 36 (1996) References Statesman-Journal article, January 1, 2004 External links Oregon State Library: Voters' Pamphlet: November 5, 2002—includes ballot title, text of the measure, and arguments for and against Category:2002 in American law Category:Minimum wage law in the United States Category:2002 Oregon ballot measures Category:Labor law in Oregon Category:Initiatives in the United States Category:2002 in labor relations