Why is big money once again flexing its muscles in Oregon ballot measures?

Oregon private equity executive John von Schlegell has filed eleven ballot measures seeking to reshape state policy on taxes, Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion, campaign finance, and other issues, representing what critics call the biggest assault on representative democracy since the Bill Sizemore era. Key measures include Petition 60 (10-year sunset on state taxes), Petition 66 (estate tax abolition), and Petition 61 (adding urban reserves to cities’ growth boundaries), which would dramatically increase developable land in metro areas overnight. The article frames von Schlegell’s actions as part of a broader trend of ultra-wealthy conservatives using their resources to influence politics following Donald Trump’s 2024 election.