Doug Olson
Olson, who retired from the lodging business in 2016, previously worked in Washington County government and has served as an elected official on local utility boards. He lives in Pacific City.
The Oregon Legislature will reach its constitutionally mandated closure in late June. For some, more time is needed to further an agenda. For others, the end can’t come soon enough.
But this is not about partisan leanings. It’s about five things our Legislature does every session that should be very troubling to Oregonians, even if you have no interest in politics.
First, while most bills list the names of their legislative sponsors, some bills show only a legislative committee as the sponsor. That’s often because the bill is too controversial, and the real author is reluctant to attach his or her name. That is political cowardice. Proposed bills without a named sponsor should be considered with extra diligence or perhaps rejected in total.
Second, many bills pass with an emergency clause attached. That means that the law becomes effective immediately after the governor signs it. The emergency clause limits the ability of citizens to use the referendum process to send a controversial law to the people for a vote, effectively removing a powerful check on bad public policy. Beware of proposed bills and laws with an emergency clause attached when there is no real emergency – such as a wildfire, flood or similar event requiring immediate attention.
Third, some bills in the closing days of a session become “Christmas tree” bills. That’s the term used to describe a bill laden with extras to win support from more legislators in order to pass. For example, a legislator who is undecided on a particular bill may be persuaded to vote in favor if there is an added benefit to his or her district. Pretty soon, the proposed bill becomes a Christmas tree with something for everyone. What was likely a marginal improvement to Oregon’s public policy becomes law at additional cost to taxpayers.
Fourth, legislators will revive some bills through a process called “gut and stuff.” That’s where a bill moves through the process and remains alive near the end of session, but is either drastically amended or replaced entirely with language from another bill, that it is nearly unrecognizable from its original drafting. So bills that appeared to have died earlier in the session can still be revived at the end. This happens in nearly every legislative session.
Finally, another ugly feature of the closing days of a legislative session is the limited time given to legislators to consider and vote on a bill. In the final weeks, legislators may have only one hour’s notice that a bill will be up for vote on the floor of the House or Senate. That’s simply not enough time for legislators and certainly not the public to respond to the call for a vote.
Oregon has been a national leader in so many areas over the years, pioneering such forward-thinking legislation as the Bottle Bill, Beach Bill and our land-use laws. Those resulted from a transparent process that welcomed bipartisan partnership, after some vigorous debate and public input. The lawmaking we see today undermines that tradition. We can and must do better.
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Submit your essay of 500-600 words on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.
"Opinion" - Google News
June 09, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Opinion: Five troubling habits of the Oregon Legislature - OregonLive
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