Isabella Carter
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally enacted in 1857 and has been amended 260 times since. The state has had one constitution since statehood, with the first amendments being made in 1902. The Oregon Constitution is easier to amend than its federal counterpart, which requires a two-thirds vote in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states. Oregon's constitution can be amended with a simple majority vote.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Versions | 1 |
| First Enacted | November 9, 1857 |
| Effective Date | February 14, 1859 |
| Number of Amendments | 260 |
| Last Amended | November 5, 2024 |
| Number of Articles | 18 |
| Number of Sections in Article I | 46 |
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What You'll Learn
- Oregon has had one constitution since becoming a state in 1859
- The Oregon Constitution has been amended 260 times
- Amendments can be made via legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred processes
- The Oregon Constitution has 18 articles, including Bill of Rights and Suffrage and Elections
- The first constitutional documents in Oregon were the Organic Laws of 1843 and 1845
Oregon has had one constitution since becoming a state in 1859
The process of amending the Oregon Constitution is more straightforward than that of its federal counterpart. While amending the U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states, amending Oregon's constitution requires only a simple majority of favourable votes. Amendments can be proposed through a legislative amendment or an initiative amendment, both of which require voter approval.
The Oregon Constitution has a Bill of Rights, which comprises 46 sections, five of which have been repealed. The constitution also outlines the distribution of powers within the state government, including the legislative, executive, administrative, and judicial branches. It lists the times of elections, defines state boundaries, and establishes Salem as the capital.
The first constitutional documents in Oregon pre-date its statehood. These were the Organic Law of 1843 and the Organic Law of 1845, which were adopted to govern the Oregon Territory. In 1857, leaders of the territory convened and drafted the current Oregon Constitution, which drew heavily from the Indiana Constitution.
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The Oregon Constitution has been amended 260 times
The Oregon Constitution, originally enacted in 1857, has been amended 260 times. It is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon. The constitution was unchanged for the remainder of the 19th century, with the first amendment taking place in 1902. This amendment established an initiative and referendum process, which was approved by 91.63% of voters. Oregon was the third state to adopt this process, after South Dakota and Utah.
The Oregon Constitution has 18 articles, beginning with a Bill of Rights, which consists of 46 sections. Five of these sections have been repealed. The second article, Suffrage and Elections, consists of 24 sections, four of which have been repealed. The third article, Distribution of Powers, consists of four sections. The fourth article, Legislative Branch, has 33 sections, one of which has been repealed. The fifth article, Executive Branch, has 18 sections. The sixth article, Administrative Department, has ten sections.
The seventh article, Judicial Branch, consists of nine sections. The eighth article, Education and School Lands, has eight sections, with one repealed. The Oregon Constitution lays out four different paths, in two different articles, for how to change the state's constitution. Amendments can be made through a legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred constitutional amendment, all of which require voter approval. An initiated amendment must be proposed by a petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters.
The Oregon Constitution was last amended on November 5, 2024, when voters approved a new amendment.
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Amendments can be made via legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred processes
The Oregon Constitution, first enacted in 1857, has been amended 260 times. It is the governing document of the state of Oregon and outlines the state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.
Amendments to the Oregon Constitution can be made via legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred processes. Legislative amendments are proposed and passed by a simple majority vote in the state legislature, while citizen-initiated amendments are proposed through an initiative petition process, requiring valid signatures from registered voters equal to eight percent of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Convention-referred amendments, on the other hand, occur when a constitutional convention is convened to draft and propose amendments, as happened in 1905 when a coalition of Oregon lawyers advocated for changes to the constitution.
The citizen-initiated amendment process in Oregon has a rich history. In 1914, two separate initiative petitions were created and added to the Constitution, one of which abolished capital punishment. In 1920, an amendment proposed by S.J.R. 8 was adopted by the people, adding a section relating to crime victims' rights. More recently, in 1999, House Joint Resolutions 87, 89, 90, and 94 were adopted by the people, adding unnumbered sections to Article I of the Constitution.
The Oregon Constitution's amendment process is more accessible than its federal counterpart. While amending the U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states, Oregon only needs a simple majority of favourable votes to ratify an amendment once it has been placed on the ballot by initiative petition or legislative referral. This accessibility has resulted in a constitution that is highly reflective of the will of its citizens.
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![Statutes and Constitution Relating to Elections in the State of Oregon, 1915, Comp. from Lord'S Oregon Laws and the Session Laws of 1911, 1913, and 1915. Also Such Provisions 1915 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Oregon Constitution has 18 articles, including Bill of Rights and Suffrage and Elections
The Oregon Constitution, originally enacted in 1857, is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon. It has been amended 260 times since 1902, with voters most recently approving a new amendment on November 5, 2024.
The current constitution contains 18 articles, including a Bill of Rights, which is Article I, and Suffrage and Elections, which is Article II. Article I, the Bill of Rights, consists of 46 sections, five of which have been repealed. It contains most of the rights and privileges protected by the United States Bill of Rights and the main text of the United States Constitution. Article II, Suffrage and Elections, consists of 24 sections, four of which have been repealed.
The Oregon Constitution can be amended with a legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred constitutional amendment, all of which require voter approval. An example of a citizen-initiated amendment is Measure 1, which was approved by voters in 1902 to establish an initiative and referendum process. To propose a citizen-initiated amendment, a petition with the full text of the proposed amendment must be signed by a number of qualified voters equal to eight per cent of the total votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the preceding four-year election term. The signatures must be filed at least four months before the election at which the amendment will be voted on.
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 the capital as Salem.
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The first constitutional documents in Oregon were the Organic Laws of 1843 and 1845
The Constitution of Oregon, enacted in 1857, is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon. However, the first constitutional documents in Oregon were the Organic Laws of 1843 and 1845, which were adopted to govern the Oregon Territory before Oregon became a state.
The Organic Law of 1843 was the first attempt to establish a formal governmental structure in the Oregon Country, which was a disputed region jointly occupied by the United States and Great Britain at the time. This law established a provisional government, known as the Provisional Government of Oregon, which was designed to provide a framework for law and order in the region. It included provisions for a legislative body, an executive committee, and a system of courts to administer justice.
The Organic Law of 1845 built upon the foundations laid by its predecessor and further refined the provisional government's structure and functions. It expanded the powers of the legislative body, established a more comprehensive system of laws, and outlined the rights and responsibilities of citizens within the Oregon Territory. This law also addressed issues related to land ownership, trade, and relations with Indigenous peoples.
Together, these Organic Laws served as the foundational documents upon which the later constitution of Oregon was built. They represented the early efforts of the settlers in the region to establish a functioning and orderly society, paving the way for the more comprehensive and formalized constitution that would come into effect with statehood.
The current Oregon Constitution, approved by voters on November 9, 1857, and effective upon statehood on February 14, 1859, has been amended numerous times since 1902. It contains 18 articles, beginning with a Bill of Rights that consists of 46 sections. The constitution outlines the state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one Oregon Constitution, enacted in 1857.
Yes, the Oregon Constitution has been amended 260 times. The first amendment was in 1902, and the latest was on November 5, 2024.
The Oregon Constitution can be amended with a legislative, citizen-initiated, or convention-referred constitutional amendment. All amendments require voter approval.
An initiative petition proposes a new section or amendment to the Oregon Constitution. This proposal is then put to a vote, and if approved, the amendment is made.
