The state's 2020 legislature session ends early

(MARCH 7, 2020) The Oregon Legislature is the state government. It includes 30 senators and 60 representatives. They make the laws for the state.

The Oregon Legislature usually meets once every year. During even-numbered years like 2020, the legislature meets for a "short session" of 35 days beginning in February.

The 2020 agenda included many proposals about earthquakes, wildfires, the state's housing crisis, gun control, and climate change. However, these topics were not addressed because Republicans from both the House and the Senate left the Capitol to protest a "cap-and-trade" bill. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, this bill would create a limit "on the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and forcing many polluters to pay for a portion of their emissions." Republicans did not want the legislature, in which the Democrats have more votes, to consider this issue.

When the Republican lawmakers did not return, Governor Kate Brown adjourned (ended) the session three days before the regular deadline. That is because the Democrats do not have enough votes by themselves to pass any law. This meant that the state legislature did not address more than 100 bills (laws or policies under consideration).

Some people say the inability of the state legislature to function will ultimately give the governor more power. That is because the governor may issue executive orders to implement new programs and policies.

Tina Kotek is a Democrat from Portland. She is also the Speaker of the House. This is a challenge I did not expect to face in my time as speaker,” Kotek said. “I did not expect to face a constitutional crisis in which so many of our colleagues simply decide to stop showing up for work until they get their way.”

Republicans did offer to return to the Capitol on March 8, which is the deadline to end the session -- and the last chance to pass any kind of bill.

“Now, after missing eight days of work and creating an insurmountable backlog of good bills and good budgets, the Republican leaders say they want to come back with 12 hours left so they can pick and choose what bills live and die,” Kotek said. “This would mean that after days of shirking their duties, they simply get to return and decide they can unilaterally kill all bills of their choosing.”

There is a possibility of a special session, but neither the governor nor the senate president indicated they would do so. Instead, Governor Brown said this:

"When lawmakers all clear out of the Capitol and go home to their day jobs, I will be working with our state agencies to continue to support the work Oregonians care about despite lawmakers’ failure to properly steward and spend taxpayer dollars. We will focus on bracing ourselves during a global health crisis, ensuring health care for our families and shelter for our neighbors, readying ourselves for a tough wildfire season ahead, and protecting our lands and children from the impacts of climate change.

"I have always been clear that a legislative solution was my preferred path to tackle the impacts of climate change for the resources it would bring to our rural communities and the flexibility it would provide for our businesses. However, I will not back down. In the coming days, I will be taking executive action to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.

"I am open to calling a special session if we can ensure it will benefit Oregonians. However, until legislative leaders bring me a plan for a functioning session I’m not going to waste taxpayer dollars on calling them back to the State Capitol.”