Both sides united against bill offering solution.

Byline: David Steves The Register-Guard

SALEM - For a brief period Tuesday, bitterly divided Oregonians set aside their differences and united behind a shared vision for the Legislature's latest Measure 37 fix:

Kill it.

The latest legislation meant to address Oregonians' conflict over the property rights initiative drew support from one speaker - a lobbyist for the local-government group that requested an extension of the deadline to process development claims under the 2004 initiative.

Rep. Bill Garrard, R-Klamath Falls, counted 14 Measure 37 opponents and 14 supporters among those who testified. But all 28 said they opposed the latest proposal, Senate Bill 833.

"Senate Bill 833 is amazing," he told his fellow committee members. "It has united the pro- and against-Measure 37 people all together."

The bill was introduced last week by the committee's two co-chairmen, Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, and Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego, at the request of the Association of Oregon Counties.

A lobbyist for the local government group, Art Schlack, said counties desperately need the additional time to process the glut of claims that came in late last year and must be processed within 180 days of filing. Given the time needed for both counties and state regulators to deal with those claims, SB 833 would provide 540 days, or about 18 months, for claims filed between Oct. 15 and Dec. 5. It also would provide a waiver for those willing to sign a release vowing to build only one home with their Measure 37 claim.

The bill was given its first hearing after the committee had spent previous weeks considering a plan promoted by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who acknowledged last week that it lacked enough support to move ahead. That proposal, Senate Bill 505, would have frozen most Measure 37 claims and allowed to move ahead only those seeking a single dwelling.

Brian Hines, a Salem resident who opposes Measure 37, said the Legislature needs to act to stop the large-scale developments that the initiative would permit from going ahead. He said those who had called Senate Bill 833 a "Band-Aid" were being too kind.

"I don't even call it a Band-Aid because it's not even that on the wounds that Measure 37 is causing," he said. "It's more like a license for the ambulance to arrive late after 911 has been called."

Measure 37 advocate Marla Robison of Clackamas County said she and her husband were eager to subdivide the land that they've owned for decades. With her husband suffering poor health, including a brain aneurism, she said the Legislature appeared to be merely throwing up unneeded delays. "We are tired of waiting," she said.

Prozanski said he and the rest of the committee members were surprised at the opposition from across the spectrum. He said the lack of support for the latest of the two Measure 37 bills didn't mean the Legislature would have to return to the drawing board. The Eugene lawmaker said a work group was hammering out other approaches that could result in new proposals.