Amends the Oregon Constitution to require that a question of whether to recall a public officer must appear on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election. Refers the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Joint Resolution 6
Sponsored by Senator MANNING JR; Senator PATTERSON (Presession filed.)
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 Act amends the Constitution. The Act requires that a recall must be on the ballot
at an election that is already happening. The Act refers the amendment to a vote of the people at
the next general election. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.4).
Amends the Oregon Constitution to require that a question of whether to recall a public officer
must appear on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election.
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.
Section 18, Article II of the Constitution of the State of Oregon, is amended
to read:
Sec. 18. [ Recall.] (1) Every public officer in Oregon is subject, as herein provided, to recall by
the electors of the state or of the electoral district from which the public officer is elected.
(2) Fifteen [ per cent ] percent , but not more, of the number of electors who voted for Governor
in the officer’s electoral district at the most recent election at which a candidate for Governor was
elected to a full term, may be required to file their petition demanding the officer’s recall by the
people.
(3) They shall set forth in the petition the reasons for the demand.
(4) If the public officer offers to resign, the resignation shall be accepted and take effect on the
day it is offered, and the vacancy shall be filled as may be provided by law. If the public officer does
not resign within five days after the petition is filed, [ a special election shall be ordered to be held
within 35 days in the electoral district to determine whether the people will recall the officer ] the
question of whether to recall the public officer must appear on the ballot at the next regu-
larly scheduled election.
(5) On the ballot at the election shall be printed in not more than 200 words the reasons for
demanding the recall of the officer as set forth in the recall petition, and, in not more than 200
words, the officer’s justification of the officer’s course in office. The officer shall continue to perform
the duties of office until the result of the [ special] election is officially declared. If an officer is
recalled from any public office , the vacancy shall be filled immediately in the manner provided by
law for filling a vacancy in that office arising from any other cause.
(6) The recall petition shall be filed with the officer with whom a petition for nomination to such
office should be filed, and the same officer shall order the [ special election when it is required ] recall
to be placed on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election . No such petition shall be
circulated against any officer until the officer has actually held the office six months, save and ex-
cept that it may be filed against a senator or representative in the legislative assembly at any time
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 2654
SJR 6
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after five days from the beginning of the first session after the election of the senator or represen-
tative.
(7) After one such petition and [ special] election, no further recall petition shall be filed against
the same officer during the term for which the officer was elected unless such further petitioners
first pay into the public treasury which has paid such [ special] election expenses, the [ whole] amount
of its expenses for the preceding [ special] election related to the recall .
(8) Such additional legislation as may aid the operation of this section shall be provided by the
legislative assembly, including provision for payment by the public treasury of the reasonable [ spe-
cial] election campaign expenses of such officer. But the words, “the legislative assembly shall
provide,” or any similar or equivalent words in this constitution or any amendment thereto, shall
not be construed to grant to the legislative assembly any exclusive power of lawmaking nor in any
way to limit the initiative and referendum powers reserved by the people.
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.
[2]