Quick Senate exit kept the session at just one day

By Terry Murry on Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SALEM – The Oregon Legislature stuck to its guns and dealt with several emergencies in four pieces of legislation at Monday’s special session. Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) said Democrats and Republicans worked together before the session began to create legislation that would be approved by both sides of the aisle and could be handled in one day.

The senators also took out an insurance policy.

“All four bills started in the senate,” the Athena Republican said. “As soon as we passed the bills to the house, we then sine died. We adjourned and we started heading home.”

Hansell said the quick bipartisan departure prevented the House of Representatives from prolonging the session.

“That prevented the House folks messing with the bills, delaying the passage, amending,” he said. “Then we’d be there for who knows how long. They were sent the package and it was accept what was already agreed to in prior negotiations or the bill dies. Nobody wanted the bill to die.”