Breaking--1st Initiative Looks Ready to Qualify

Nothing's official until August 6th, but according to Our Oregon Bill Sizemore's "insurance credit check" bill, known currently as IP-23, will qualify for the ballot. Just over 84,000 valid signatures were credited to the initiative, well above the required 75,630. Note the validation rate from what was turned in, however: 66.3%, based on the sample done by the Secretary of State's office. That's well below the typical 70% target, and in line with signatures turned in earlier this year by the Sizemore/McIntire/Loren Parks cabal for their other petitions. Notably, it's also below what Ted Blazsak's petitions achieved in their early-turn in period. Could it be that violating Measure 26 and paying by the signature is not only illegal, but also bad for business? We can only hope.

Frankly, as petitions go from this crowd, IP-23 seems like a relatively good idea--why do insurance companies get to run a credit check on you in order to give you a rate? If there's one group of people who don't wait long before pulling the plug on service you've bought but haven't finished paying for, it's the insurance companies. Still, given Sizemore's history, and the history of people and causes Parks has bankrolled in the past, I'm suspicious. But it looks like I'll have to stay suspicious all the way to November, because it's going to be on the ballot. And call it a hunch, but I'm going to guess it gets the biggest Yes vote of any initiative on the ballot this year (with parental notification being #2, sadly).

Stay tuned--as OO hears word about petitions making the grade or not, we'll pass them on.