The Legislature can’t impeach officials but the state does have a recall provision. Longtime Democratic Rep. Paul of Eugene easily survived an attempt in 2023. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Measure 115 on the November ballot is an unusual case.
It’s a straight-up question about the right way to remove a corrupt state official with no apparent target at stake. Oregon already allows certain officials to be recalled. Measure 115, referred to the ballot by lawmakers as a constitutional amendment, would allow the Legislature to impeach statewide elected officials, such as the governor, treasurer or secretary of state.
If passed, it would end Oregon’s outlier status as the only state in the nation that does not allow impeachment of these officials. It comes a year after the resignation of Shemia Fagan as secretary of state over a moonlighting scandal but is not aimed at any current official. Fagan resigned in May 2023 after news reports prompted an ethics investigation into her consulting work for the co-founder of a cannabis company that contributed to her campaign.