Measure 7 Heading to Appellate Courts After Circuit Judge Declares It Unconstitutional

SALEM, OR-Implementation of Measure 7 will remain on hold following yesterday’s ruling by Circuit Court Judge Paul Limpscomb that the property takings measure is unconstitutional.

Attorney General Hardy Myers will appeal the ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals on behalf of voters who approved the measure in November. The measure’s original backers also plan to appeal the ruling.

The appeals court normally takes more than a year to rule a case, though it likely will be lobbied to make this case a priority. In the Meantime, the Legislature also is mulling the possibility of rewriting the measure to make it legal and then sending it back to the voters for a revote–giving its detractors another chance to defeat it.