A voter drops off a ballot at a drive-up Marion County ballot drop site in Salem, Ore., in May 2022. Oregonians will vote next month on a ballot initiative that would increase the minimum tax on large businesses and send the cash to all residents, guaranteeing them a minimum income. (Ron Cooper | Oregon Capital Chronicle)
PORTLAND, Ore. – The pitch intrigued nearly everyone who encountered a petition gatherer seeking signatures in Oregon: Would you like a $750 annual rebate from the state, for each member of your household? Paid for “by making giant corporations pay their fair share”?
Voters signed on to the concept in droves, catapulting the initiative commonly known as the Oregon Rebate to November’s ballot. If passed, it would make Oregon the first state to increase the minimum tax on large businesses and send the cash to all residents, guaranteeing them a minimum income.
“I’m not exaggerating here, but we got an extremely positive response,” said Antonio Gisbert, a spokesperson for the Yes on Measure 118 campaign behind the Oregon Rebate. “The secret sauce is that it’s a pretty clear concept.”