Oregon's awful Measure 37 tossed out

Good news:

SALEM, Ore. - A judge on Friday overturned a voter-passed property compensation law as unconstitutional.

Marion County Circuit Judge Mary James struck down the law as violating five provisions of the state and federal constitutions.

The law, passed as Measure 37 on the November 2004 ballot, requires that state and local governments either compensate land owners when regulations lower property values or waive the rules.

James said the statute violates equal protection provisions of the Oregon Constitution and a state constitutional ban on suspending laws.

Measure 37 was a horrible step in the wrong direction. The Farm Bureau, BIAW, Tim Eyman, and other conservative interests are hoping to do an initiative in 2006 that will be a clone of Oregon's Measure 37, which we will adamantly oppose. It's simply bad policy that hurts our communities.