Oregon Constitution
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Oregon Constitution | |
 The leather cover of the original Oregon Constitution
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| Created | September 18, 1857 |
| Ratified | November 9, 1857 (effective on February 14, 1859) |
| Location | State Archives |
| Authors | Delegates of the Oregon Constitutional Convention |
| Signers | 52 of 60 delegates |
| Purpose | Draft constitution to allow for statehood |
The Oregon Constitution is a U.S. state constitution, the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1857, leaders of the Oregon Territory gathered at the Oregon Constitutional Convention and drafted a constitution for Oregon.[1] On November 9, 1857, Oregon voters approved its first constitution that then became effective upon statehood on February 14, 1859.[1] The constitution was unchanged for the remainder of the 19th century, but has been amended numerous times since 1902. The changes include the introduction of a direct legislation system, which enabled Oregon voters to propose and approve amendments both to the Constitution and to the Oregon Revised Statutes.
The current document contains 18 sections, beginning with a bill of rights.[2] Oregon’s bill of rights contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of Rights and the main text of the United States Constitution. The remainder of the Oregon Constitution outlines the divisions of power within the state government, lists the times of elections, and defines the state boundaries and capital. The original implementation provisions included a vote excluding African Americans from the state.[2]
Over half of the document's content was derived in part from the Indiana constitution.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Differences from the United States Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is easier to amend than its federal counterpart. Amending the U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in Congress and ratification by three fourths of the states. In Oregon, once an initiative amendment to its constitution has been placed on the ballot by initiative petition, or once a legislative amendment has been referred to the people by a simple majority vote in the state legislature, a simple majority of favorable votes is enough to ratify it. Placing a petition for an amendment on the ballot requires a number of valid signatures of registered voters equal to eight percent of the total number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election,[N 1] higher than the six percent required for a change in statute.[N 2] See the list of Oregon ballot measures for initiative amendments.
The right to free speech in Oregon is broader than that enjoyed at the federal level:
| “ | No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever; but every person shall be responsible for the abuse of this right. | ” |
The Oregon Supreme Court has cited this right against parts of Oregon's disorderly conduct statute, against content-based restrictions on billboards and murals, and against laws restricting the sale of pornography.[citation needed]
[edit] Current list of articles
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- ^ a b Oregon Blue Book: Constitution of Oregon. Oregon Secretary of State, accessed 2007-10-19.
- ^ a b Constitution of Oregon: 2005 Edition. Oregon Legislative Assembly, accessed 2007-10-19.
- ^ Friedman, Lawrence M. 1985. A History of American Law, 2nd Edition. Simon & Schuster; New York, NY. p. 347.
[edit] External links and references
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Constitution of Oregon from the Oregon State Legislature
- Crafting the Constitution, a web exhibit from the Oregon State Archives
- History of the constitution from the Oregon Blue Book (includes link to printable copy)
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