This excerpt from the Columbia Basin Bulletin is a very good summary of the process:


......... The Oregon Attorney General's Office has until Feb. 9 to issue a "certified" ballot title and respond to comments received regarding its "draft ballot title" for the proposal spearheaded by CCA Oregon.

The public comments were directed to the Office of the Secretary of State and processed by its Elections Division. Oregon law requires that the Secretary of State to field comments on whether a draft ballot title is within legal standards and whether the proposed initiative complies with procedural constitutional requires for submission of petitions.

A total of 119 pages of comments were received from commercial fishermen and fish buying and processing representatives, tribal entities and supporters of the proposal. The deadline for filing comments was Monday (Jan25).

After a "certified" ballot title is issued by the Attorney General's Office, anyone who submitted comments and remains dissatisfied can present its legal arguments to the Oregon Supreme Court and ask for a different title. Petitions to the court must be filed within 10 days after the final ballot title is issued.

The court is required by state law to "act expeditiously" when it receives such a petition. In the past the court response has come anywhere from 6-8 weeks to 6 months after it receives the petition, according to Elections Division officials.

Once the process is completed, including the disposition of any petitions to the court, CCA Oregon could begin collecting the 82,769 voter signatures necessary to get the initiative on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. Those signatures must be delivered to the Elections Division by July 2. ............