Primus: Lawmakers should respect the will of the voters

By Terry Murry on Monday, February 15th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – The 2021 session of the Oregon Legislature sees several bills that would weaken the mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes set by Measure 11. Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus opposes them, saying Measure 11 is doing its job and is the will of the people.

The measure first passed in 1994 with a 65 percent majority. It was then reaffirmed by voters in 2000 with 73 percent in favor.

“We’ve done polls,” Primus said. “In 2013, 72 percent supported it; and we did a poll at the end of 2020 with 78 percent still supporting it.”

Primus said in certain cases, judges do have the authority to lessen the sentences to account for good behavior. He finds the proposals to weaken those sentences to be unacceptable.

“Raping a teenager at knife-point is 8.3 years,” Primus said. “The proposed legislation would change that to 2.8 years. Attempted murder would go from seven and a half years under Measure 11 to 2.8 years. An adult raping a child is 5.8 years, and it would go down to 7.2 months.”