Area solons express “mixed feelings“ about annual sessions
From our weekly issue dated February 24, 2010
Sen. Jason Atkinson (left) with a lobbyist representing Umpqua Bank. (Photo by Scott Jorgensen, Illinois Valley News)
Oregon voters likely will get to decide if they want legislative sessions to be conducted annually.
But the lawmakers representing Josephine County have expressed mixed feelings about the idea as the February session raced toward adjournment.
The session began on Feb. 1, days after voters approved Measures 66 and 67. Those measures raised taxes on high-income Oregonians and some corporations, and the bitter battle that ensued pitted the state“s business and labor interests against each other.
At mid-February any number of bills went down in defeat, to the occasional and visible surprise of their sponsors. Those include bills that would establish health care as a right, and a pair of bills regarding public access to riverbanks.
Most of the legislative committees shut down as of Feb. 18. The only exceptions were the Ways & Means, and Revenue & Rules committees.
There was no shortage of competing interests at the capitol, as the Legislature conducts its experiment with regular sessions. The matter is likely to be referred to voters in this November“s general election.
Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass) said that he originally voted for the experiment in annual sessions, knowing that it would be referred to voters. But he added that he no longer supports the concept.
The process is being abused, Maurer said, as the majority party “cannot restrain themselves from using it as a political tool for political purposes.“ Democrats hold a supermajority in the House and Senate.
In that chamber, Sen. Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) said that the session has been “far more civil“ than in the House.
“They“re in campaign mode over there. They“re not in statesman“s mode,“ Atkinson said. “The House is marred in political meltdown.“
Maurer agrees that “there“s been a lot of game playing“ at the capitol.
The proposal being referred to voters to establish annual sessions includes limits on the number of days for a session.
Sessions in odd years would be limited to 135 days, and even year sessions would not exceed 45 days.
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