Legislature returns to capital for first special session

The state legislature began its first-ever special session this week to help manage budget issues such as increased health insurance coverage for children, improvements to water sources and more funding for state troopers.

The month-long supplemental session, the first in Oregon’s history, is designed to cover pressing issues in Oregon, said Jesse Cornett, interim assistant to the president for government relations at PSU.

“[The supplemental session] is intended to deal with the issues that can’t wait until 2009,” Cornett said, stressing that the most important issues will be dealt with first.

However, Cornett also said that the session is not supposed to be a catch-all solution for all of Oregon’s current legislative issues.

“They’re not going to deal with every single one,” Cornett said. “A lot of big issues will get deferred till 2009.”

In addition to health care, water improvements and more funding for state troopers, the legislature will attempt to address state land-use laws, employers’ rights to limit what tasks an employee on medical marijuana may perform, and sub-prime mortgage loan reform.

Each chamber has restricted the number of bills they will consider to 50 to ensure that the session ends by Feb. 29.

Oregon is one of only six states that have a legislature that meets every two years, but many legislators, including State Senate President Peter Courtney, said annual sessions would allow the legislature to better manage Oregon’s budget.

Right now, the legislative Emergency Board, a group of less than 20 legislators, manages between-session budget issues.

“The general energy is good. I think there’s going to be a strong effort to have an upbeat, positive session,” Cornett said in Salem Monday.

The supplemental session is expected to end no later than Feb. 29, though it could be extended if two-thirds of both the Senate and the House vote to do so.