The last day of the 2021 Oregon legislative session was largely free of drama or surprises. But by the time the final gavel dropped at 5:37 p.m. Saturday, lawmakers had approved billions of dollars in spending that will touch nearly every corner of the state.
“This is truly historic,” said Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, as he urged the House to approve a bill that would fund more than $2 billion in construction projects at universities, National Guard armories, and a slew of other state government buildings.
“Take note of that. You won’t see that very often,” he said, referring to the overall amount contained in the bill.
That sounded good to Holvey’s colleagues, who approved the measure 56-0 without debate.
All told, the House approved 18 bills and the Senate 46 on the final day of what turned out to be a 159-day session—one day short of the maximum allowed length for odd-numbered years under the Oregon Constitution.
The closing hours featured breezy approvals of agency budgets, a bill to extend health insurance coverage to low-income Oregonians regardless of immigration status, a measure that would regulate kratom and a bill to require public schools to provide free feminine hygiene products to students.
The Senate gave final passage to the final eight bills in a package of 22 designed to improve law enforcement officers’ training, regulate officer’ conduct and increase their accountability for misconduct. The eight included bills to limit use of tear gas and rubber bullets, require large law enforcement agencies to gain national accreditation and create model training for workers across the criminal justice system to help them better interact with people who have experienced trauma.
Most passed easily with bipartisan support. But a bill to require state licensing of private security guards and a linchpin bill to create a statewide commission to set conduct and discipline standards for law enforcement officers and disallow police unions from negotiating a local discipline matrix as part of the union contract both passed more narrowly, on an 18-10 vote. Bills need 16 yes votes to pass the Senate.
In the House, the only bill that sparked any significant debate was a measure that would direct utilities to develop wildfire mitigation plans, bolster state firefighting capacity and require some property owners to establish buffers around homes and other buildings. The bill will also make a down payment on the vast backlog of forest restoration work that many fire, forestry and environmental officials believe will be critical to restoring forest health and reducing wildfire severity.
The bill was on life-support in the final week until a special joint committee was created to allow the chambers and parties to hash out their differences. In the end, it passed with minimal opposition.
As lawmakers endured the typical wait for the paperwork needed in order to complete the final day’s business, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, thanked representatives for their work during what a session unlike any in Oregon’s 162-year history.
“We’re here because we’re motivated by the people we serve,” she said, noting that lawmakers—like many Oregonians—have endured wildfires, ice storms, and pandemic-related shutdowns over the past year.
“This work requires a lot of sacrifice,” said Kotek. “I don’t want to see you in July. I want everyone to take a break.”
Senate President Peter Courtney, a Salem Democrat who has led the chamber since 2003, vociferously denied that the session was drama-free, but he said he and others managed to keep it behind the scenes. He refused to say what the drama was but said it involved human beings and the need to make split-second decisions.
Kotek also noted that Capitol staff members have also endured challenging workplace circumstances, tearing up as she told of seeing a janitor clean her desk one night, and realizing the amount of work that the facilities staff had done to keep lawmakers safe during the pandemic.
The Capitol itself remained closed to the public during the entire session. Even with Gov. Kate Brown’s announcement that most coronavirus-related restrictions will be lifted no later than Wednesday, the building’s door remained shut, and lawmakers kept wearing masks right up until the end of the session.
Chris Lehman clehman@oregonian.com
Lawmakers wrap up session with drama-free final day - OregonLive
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