Proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish the office of Lieutenant Governor and places the Lieutenant Governor first in the line to succeed the Governor if the Governor's office becomes vacant mid-term. Establishes the duration of the term of office of Lieutenant Governor at four years, but provides that the first term of office, elected in the 2028 regular general election, is only two years.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Joint Resolution 16
Sponsored by Representative EVANS
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The measure creates the office of Lt. Governor. The measure places the Lt. Governor
as first in the line to succeed the Governor if that office is vacant. The measure asks voters to say
yes or no to the proposal at the 2026 general election. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.7).
Proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish the office of Lieutenant Gov-
ernor and places the Lieutenant Governor first in the line to succeed the Governor if the Governor’s
office becomes vacant mid-term. Establishes the duration of the term of office of Lieutenant Gover-
nor at four years, but provides that the first term of office, elected in the 2028 regular general
election, is only two years.
Refers the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular
general election.
JOINT RESOLUTION
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
PARAGRAPH 1.
The Constitution of the State of Oregon is amended by creating new sections
7a and 7b to be added to and made a part of Article V, and by amending section 8a, Article V, such
sections to read:
SECTION 7a. There is established the office of Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant
Governor shall be elected by the qualified electors of the state at the times established by
law. The term of office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be four years. A person elected
to the office of Lieutenant Governor may serve subsequent terms. The qualifications to serve
in the office of Lieutenant Governor shall be the same qualifications as for the office of
Governor, except that any person who has served as Governor for eight successive years is
ineligible to serve as Lieutenant Governor. The duties of the office of Lieutenant Governor
shall be as assigned by law.
SECTION 7b. (1) The election for the first Lieutenant Governor shall be in the November
2028 regular general election for a two-year term. Each election for the office of Lieutenant
Governor thereafter shall be as set forth in section 7a of this Article and laws implementing
section 7a of this Article.
(2) This section is repealed on January 1, 2032.
Sec. 8a. In case of the removal from office of the Governor, or of [ his] the death, resignation,
or disability to discharge the duties of [ his] office of the Governor as prescribed by law, the
Lieutenant Governor; or if there be none, or in case of the death, resignation, or disability
to discharge the duties of office of the Lieutenant Governor as prescribed by law, then the
Secretary of State; or if there be none, or in case of [ his] the removal from office, death, resignation,
or disability to discharge the duties of [ his] office of the Secretary of State as prescribed by law,
then the State Treasurer; or if there be none, or in case of [ his] the removal from office, death,
resignation, or disability to discharge the duties of [ his] office of the State Treasurer as prescribed
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 3791-2
HJR 16
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by law, then the President of the Senate; or if there be none, or in case of [ his] the removal from
office, death, resignation, or disability to discharge the duties of [ his] office of the President of the
Senate as prescribed by law, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall become Gov-
ernor until the disability be removed, or a Governor be elected at the next general biennial election.
The Governor elected to fill the vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of the outgoing
Governor. The Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State or the State Treasurer shall appoint a
person to fill [ his] their office until the election of a Governor, at which time the office so filled by
appointment shall be filled by election; or, in the event of a disability of the Governor, to be Acting
Lieutenant Governor, Acting Secretary of State or Acting State Treasurer until the disability be
removed. The person so appointed shall not be eligible to succeed to the office of Governor by au-
tomatic succession under this section during the term of [ his] the appointment.
PARAGRAPH 2.
The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the
people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election held throughout
this state.
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