State lawmakers are considering a measure that would ask voters in 2016 to approve limits on a campaign contributions.
Oregon is one of a half-dozen states that places no limit on how much people and corporations can donate to political campaigns. The proposal has the support of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, who testified in favor of the measure to a Senate panel Tuesday.
"No one should be able to buy a megaphone so big that it drowns out every other voice,” the governor said. “The First Amendment was intended to protect political discourse for all Oregonians, not just those with the deepest pockets."
Opponents say campaign contribution limits would actually put more power in the hands of special interest groups that can run independent campaigns unconnected to a particular candidate.
Both Washington and Idaho limit how much money individuals and companies can donate to political campaigns.