Stan Long - Measure 20-362

Vote Yes on Measure 20-362
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Measure 20-362?
Measure 20-362 proposes a charter amendment to establish a 15-member, non-partisan, citizens' redistricting commission. It shifts the authority to select citizen commission members from the elected Board of Commissioners to a blind drawing of eligible applicants. The new commission, rather than the Board, would have the final say in adopting district maps. This measure also introduces a one-time mid-decade redistricting process under the new criteria.
Eligibility requirements for commission members include:
Registered to vote in Lane County.
Not a candidate for, or holder of, federal, state, county, or certain local offices.
Not a registered lobbyist, paid congressional, legislative, or county employee.
Not a political strategist or party official.

Why Now?
Redistricting has become increasingly contentious, often serving the interests of the party in power. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave Oregon's congressional districts, drawn by the state legislature, an "F" grade. In response, many states have moved toward independent redistricting commissions. The Lane County Board of Commissioners considers this issue critical and is putting it to a vote. Elected boards, now and in the future, inherently face conflicts of interest in redistricting. This amendment ensures a separation between political interests and the redistricting process.

What is the Current Process?
Currently, redistricting for commissioner districts is controlled by the elected Board of Commissioners. A "No" vote would retain this system.

How Does This Amendment Address Gerrymandering?
This amendment does not draw any boundaries or change any maps. Instead, it establishes an impartial citizen commission selection process, with the possibility of initiating this process before the 2031 census update.

The current map, split into five districts, was one of three suggested maps by the 2020 redistricting committee and adopted by the board in 2021.

Right now the commissioners each choose one member of that committee. Another ten are selected without the commissioners' input.

With measure 20-362, all 15 redistricting committee members would be selected by lot at a public meeting from a pool of candidates from each commissioner's district.

Private attorney Stan Long used back-door access to several commissioners to get the measure on the ballot, according to Commissioner Laurie Trieger.

"It's three commissioners and one private attorney who are supporting this, who pushed this onto the ballot with very little time for review and no public input. Two of the commissioners have to stand for election in '26, and they don't like the current map. The current districts are very fairly apportioned, and they keep neighborhoods whole, feeder school districts whole -- good solid maps that have faced no legal challenge," Trieger said. "What we're also seeing all over the country is a right wing playbook that says if you don't like your maps, get them changed. And this is how they're trying to get them changed, is to have the voters do it for them before they have to stand for re-election."

The change is also problematic because of the costly mid-cycle redistricting effort immediately following passage to redraw county commissioner districts, Trieger said.

The current map used 2020 census data for redistricting and -- should the map be redone next year -- would use the same census data, she said.

Commissioners Farr, Ceniga, and Loveall say the current map is unfair.

Farr says it allows for all commissioners to potentially be Eugene residents, since a portion of the city falls in each district.