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Protect Our County

Vote NO on
Measure 20-373

We all want clean water, a healthy environment, and a strong Lane County. But Measure 20-373 would cost taxpayers millions, cut critical services, and open the door to endless lawsuits.

It’s unconstitutional. It’s extreme. And it could cost us all millions and millions of dollars every year.

While protecting clean water and healthy ecosystems is a goal we all share, this measure introduces sweeping and unclear legal standards that could expose Lane County to significant litigation... Every lawsuit the county must defend requires time, staff resources, and ultimately, taxpayer dollars. The result would be more uncertainty, more litigation, and fewer resources available for the services residents depend on.

– Pat Farr, Lane County Commissioner

Organizations, businesses, and individuals from across Lane County are coming together to Protect Our County and OPPOSE MEASURE 20-373. Here are just some of the reasons we must defeat this extreme ballot measure:

1

This measure would force cuts to critical services. At a time when health care funding and public safety budgets have been slashed, we simply can’t afford any more cuts.

2

There’s no limit to what this could cost local governments and taxpayers. There’s no process to estimate damages, so it’s basically just a blank check to whoever files a lawsuit.

3

This measure is vague and poorly written. It was written without public hearings, and it establishes no process for determining how much Lane County residents must pay if they are sued.

4

Good public policy should rely on good science. But this measure says “no scientific certainty” or “full evidence of risk” is needed to file and win a lawsuit. That’s ridiculous, and not the right way to make laws.

5

Legal experts have called this measure “dangerously unclear” and likely “unconstitutional.” Similar laws have already been struck down by federal judges after expensive court fights. We must protect the constitutional rights of Oregonians.

Our growing coalition of community organizations and local businesses, Democrats and Republicans, are all uniting to say Measure 20-373 goes too far!

Join the Coalition

Community Voices

Lane County leaders, businesses, and residents are joining together to explain what's at stake — higher costs, deeper service cuts, and endless legal uncertainty.

Sean VanGordon

Mayor of Springfield

“Measure 20-373 raises serious red flags for Springfield. By opening the door to broad, science-free litigation against local governments, it would increase legal costs and financial uncertainty. Those costs would inevitably be borne by residents and threaten funding for core city services like public safety.”

Faye Stewart

Lane Electric Cooperative Director

“As a Lane Electric Cooperative Director, I'm concerned Measure 20-373 exposes essential utilities to endless litigation over everyday operations. Those legal costs don't disappear — they show up in higher rates for rural families and small businesses who can least afford it. We should pursue environmental protection through clear, science-based policy, not through a measure that creates uncertainty without real results.”

Hear from many more Lane County leaders, friends, businesses and neighbors why they are voting NO on Measure 20-373

See Who is Speaking out