Group takes aim at illegal immigration

Published: January 3, 2008

By DAVID BATES
Of the News-Register


Jim Ludwick's Oregonians for Immigration Reform has already collected a few hundred signatures for an initiative the group hopes to get on the November ballot, thanks largely to gun shows held in Salem and Portland.

Starting Friday, the signature drive goes virtual. The McMinnville-based group will be among the first to use a new system allowing electronic collection of petition signatures.

The statutory measure aims to crack down on illegal immigration in several ways.

Its main thrust would to require proof of legal residency to obtain a driver's license or register to vote. It would also authorize local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws, something current state statute has been interpreted to prohibit.

"This is the only one we're going to do," Ludwick said. He said the group would supplement its online signature gathering with traditional street circulation using a contingent of volunteers.

OFIR is calling its measure the Respect for Law Act. It originally had other measures in the works as well, but decided to concentrate its efforts.

"We dropped all the others," Ludwick said. "It makes a lot more sense to have one initiative instead of three."

The e-signature sheet is intended for only one person, so features only one signature line. It may be accessed through the OFIR website, located at www.oregonir.org.

Anyone who wishes to collect signatures for the cause must contact the group to get traditional multi-line sheets.

Ludwick said the group was ready to launch its online effort earlier, but new forms just became available Friday. He said volunteers using traditional techniques were very successful at the gun shows, and said the online program should enable the group to make rapid progress.

He termed the initiative a direct response to the Oregon Legislature's failure to enact reform measures last session. He said it takes a common-sense approach that promises to have broad appeal.

If it makes the ballot, it'll be a slam dunk, Lundwick asserted.

"We're going to pass it," he said. "I don't care how much The Oregonian rails against it, or how much the News-Register rails against it, we'll pass it."

http://www.newsregister.com/news/story. ... _no=230111