OR bill could limit governor’s emergency powers

By Terry Murry on Monday, January 31st, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SALEM – Oregon Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane) is introducing a bill that could limit the governor’s emergency powers. Owens wants voters to decide about amending the State Constitution, and this would place the question on the ballot. State Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) has signed his support of Owens’ legislation.

Hansell said that the writers who determined what the governor’s powers should be and included it in the Constitution had no clue that an emergency could go on for years.

“The authors of the bill at that time had something totally different in mind, like an earthquake, the Cascadia Fault going, or massive fires,” Hansell said.

He added that the granting of those powers was designed to go into effect in situations where the Oregon Legislature was unable to convene.

“Primarily, people were thinking about an earthquake where the Capitol building might not even be standing anymore,” he said. “It was never intended for this type of exercise of it. We’re one of the few states that even allow a governor to do that. We just don’t have the checks and balances and a bill like this would give the people the opportunity to decide what they would want.”