May's vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law will mark the 67th time in Oregon history that Oregonians have opposed a law strongly enough to petition for its placement on the ballot. A majority of voters approved just over one-third of these laws, including measures that gave sheriffs control of county prisons and closed the Willamette River to commercial fishing south of Lake Oswego. The remaining 42 times, Oregonians voted against laws referred to the ballot, forcing lawmakers to find alternative solutions to budget constraints. The process, known as a referendum, has roots in distrust in the political class and is often influenced by the threat of an initiative. The Legislature has moved five out of seven referendums since 2000 to special elections in January or February.