SALEM Ore. (KPTV) – A coalition of business groups and Oregon city leaders is advancing a proposed ballot measure that would give cities and counties broader authority to restrict camping on public property.
On Dec. 19, chief petitioners for Petition 2026-054 received an official ballot title from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office. The petitioners are Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, Portland attorney John DiLorenzo, and Preston Mann, external affairs director for Oregon Business & Industry.
What a “yes” vote would do
According to the ballot title, the measure would repeal a state law that requires local rules regulating sitting or lying on public property to meet a reasonableness standard when applied to people experiencing homelessness.
Why this is happening now
The proposal follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision in summer 2024 that overturned the long-standing federal precedent set by Martin v. Boise. That earlier ruling had limited how strictly cities could enforce bans on sleeping on public property, particularly when shelter space was unavailable. After the Supreme Court ruling, many cities nationally gained greater latitude to enforce camping restrictions.
Why Oregon is different
In Oregon, similar limits remain in place under state law. In 2021, the Legislature passed a bill (written by then-House Speaker Tina Kotek) that incorporated Martin v. Boise standards into state statute. Even after the federal precedent changed, Oregon’s state-level requirements continued to constrain how cities regulate public camping…