Register Guard
October 6th, 2014
When state Treasurer Ted Wheeler first began talking about selling bonds to fund an endowment to help students pay the cost of college and career training, he was looking 30 years into the future, when Oregon could have a $6 billion asset that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars for scholarships. Measure 86 on the Nov. 4 ballot would create the legal framework for that vision, but nothing else — any financial commitment would be up to the Legislature. A vote for Measure 86, however, would signal to lawmakers that Oregonians support higher education, value long-term thinking and would rather invest than spend.
The 2013 Legislature referred Measure 86 to the ballot because any new use for state bonds requires a voter-approved amendment to the Oregon Constitution. The proposal would allow the state to borrow money, put it in an investment account and use the earnings to provide financial aid for students in college or training programs.