PORTLAND, Ore. — Supporters of a law that would impose tough new regulations over how much money Oregon candidates can collect and spend on their campaigns have filed suit over the state's decision not to implement the restrictions.

On Election Day, Oregonians approved a measure that would have made the stringent new restrictions state statute. But voters also turned down a companion measure that would have amended the state constitution to make the statutory changes possible.

After a post-election review, Attorney General Hardy Myers' office, along with Secretary of State Bill Bradbury's office, concluded the entire measure had to be suspended unless or until the Oregon Constitution was amended to allow limits on campaign contributions and expenditures.

Supporters of the measures, though, are arguing in the suit, filed in Marion County Circuit Court, that Myers and the state Elections Division overstepped their boundaries.

"It is the duty of government officers to enforce what the voters enacted," said Ken Lewis, former president of the Port of Portland. "It is not for them to say it is not valid. Their job is to enforce it, until someone who objects gets the courts to rule otherwise."

Supporters of the measure argue that a number of the provisions of the measure passed by voters are constitutional, and should be put into place, including requirements that:

- Campaign ads funded by groups other than the candidates or their parties would have to disclose their top five contributors directly in their ads.

- Candidates who spend more than $5,000 of their own personal money would have to reveal how much of their own money they'd spent in their campaign ads.

- The Secretary of State's office would have to expand its Internet database of contribution and expenditure reports, charting some individual contributors as well as candidates, political committees, parties and interest groups.