The 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly convened for its first of two regular sessions on January 22, 2019, and met for three special sessions, the last of which concluded on December 21, 2020.

In the November 2018 elections, the Democratic Party of Oregon gained supermajority status in both houses: one seat in the Senate for an 18–12 majority, and three seats in the House for a 38–22 majority. From May 29 to June 28, 2019, the 10th senate district was vacant, following the death of senate minority leader Jackie Winters.

Notable legislation Successful HB 2001: Legalizing the upzoning of single-family-zoned neighborhoods to duplexes in cities above 10,000 in population, and legalizing the building of larger multi-family houses in cities above 25,000, including the Portland metropolitan area. SB 861: Approving state-funded postage for mail-in ballots HB 2007: Requiring a phase-out of all pre-2007 model year diesel trucks from Portland roads by 2025 HB 2005: family/sick leave bill HB 2015: allowing drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants SB 1013: narrowing the number of death penalty offenses SB 998: Legalizing the Idaho stop for bicyclists SB 870: National Popular Vote Interstate Compact HB 3216: Allowing lawsuits for racially motivated frivolous 9-1-1 calls SB 420: Expanding expungements of non-violent marijuana-related offenses SB 577: Adding gender identity as a protected class in hate crimes SB 320: Keeping most of Oregon on Daylight Saving Time on a year-round basis (the part of Oregon in the Mountain Time Zone is exempt) SB 90: Placing restrictions on the distribution of plastic straws by restaurants and other food establishments

Sent to referendum HB 2270: Raising the tobacco tax to fund healthcare SJR 18: Constitutional amendment to define campaign finance limits

Unsuccessful HB 2020: Cap-and-trade HB 3063: Removal of religious objections to mandatory vaccines HJR 10: Constitutional amendment for abolition of non-unanimous juries for criminal felony cases

Senate The Oregon State Senate is composed of 18 Democrats and 12 Republicans. Democrats gained one seat in District 3.

Senate President: Peter Courtney (D–11 Salem) President Pro Tempore: Laurie Monnes Anderson (D–25 Gresham) Majority Leader: Ginny Burdick (D–18 Portland) until May 22, 2020; Rob Wagner (D-19 Lake Oswego) after Minority Leader: Herman Baertschiger Jr. (R-2 Grants Pass)

District Senator Party Residence Assumed office 1 Dallas Heard Republican Roseburg 2018 2 Herman Baertschiger Jr. Republican Grants Pass 2013 3 Jeff Golden Democratic Ashland 2019 4 Floyd Prozanski Democratic Eugene 2003 5 Arnie Roblan Democratic Coos Bay 2013 6 Lee Beyer Democratic Springfield 2011 7 James Manning Jr. Democratic Eugene 2017 8 Sara Gelser Democratic Corvallis 2015 9 Fred Girod Republican Molalla 2008 10 Jackie Winters Republican Salem 2003 Denyc Boles Republican 2019 11 Peter Courtney Democratic 1999 12 Brian Boquist Republican Dallas 2009 13 Kim Thatcher Republican Keizer 2015 14 Mark Hass Democratic Beaverton 2007 15 Chuck Riley Democratic Hillsboro 2015 16 Betsy Johnson Democratic Scappoose 2007 17 Elizabeth Steiner Hayward Democratic Portland 2012 18 Ginny Burdick Democratic 1997 19 Rob Wagner Democratic Lake Oswego 2018 20 Alan Olsen Republican Canby 2011 21 Kathleen Taylor Democratic Portland 2017 22 Lew Frederick Democratic 2017 23 Michael Dembrow Democratic 2013 24 Shemia Fagan Democratic Clackamas 2019 25 Laurie Monnes Anderson Democratic Gresham 2005 26 Chuck Thomsen Republican Hood River 2010 27 Tim Knopp Republican Bend 2013 28 Dennis Linthicum Republican Bonanza 2017 29 Bill Hansell Republican Pendleton 2013 30 Cliff Bentz Republican Ontario 2018 Lynn Findley Republican Vale 2020

Events

In May 2019, Republican state senators refused to attend senate sessions for four days, opposing a $2 billion tax package for K-12 schools. They only returned after making a deal with Oregon Governor Kate Brown that Democratic state senators would not field bills on guns and vaccines, would "reset" a cap-and-trade bill, and promised not to walk out again. Previous Oregon legislative walkouts have occurred in 2007 for Republicans and 2001, 1995 and 1971 for Democrats.

From June 20, 2019, all 11 Republican state senators for Oregon, including Girod, refused to show up for work at the Oregon State Capitol, instead going into hiding, some even fleeing the state. Their aim was to prevent a vote on a cap-and-trade proposal, House Bill 2020 that would dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to combat climate change. The Senate holds 30 seats, but 1 is vacant due to the death of Republican Jackie Winters. Without the Republican senators, the remaining 18 Democratic state senators could not reach a quorum of 20 to hold a vote before the end of the legislative session on June 30, 2019. This tactic is known as quorum-busting.Jamie Parfitt, [Governor Brown invokes state police as Republicans hint at walkout over cap-and-trade], KDRV (June 19, 2019).

Oregon Governor Kate Brown sent the Oregon State Police to bring the absent Republican senators back to the Capitol. In response, Republican Oregon Senator Brian Boquist said: "Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I'm not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon." Right-wing militia groups have offered support for the Republican senators, with 3 Percenters declaring they would be "doing whatever it takes to keep these senators safe", and the Oath Keepers stating: "Gov. Brown, you want a civil war, because this is how you get a civil war". On June 22, 2019, a session of the Oregon Senate was cancelled when the Oregon State Capitol was closed due to a warning from the state police of a "possible militia threat". All but 2 of the Republican senators returned to the session by June 29.

In August 2019 Governor Brown considered calling a special session to address the impacts of recent death penalty legislation, but declined to do so when it became clear that the House of Representatives lacked the votes to ensure passage.

In February 2020 Republican senators walked out again, still in protest of the cap and trade legislation.

House Based on the results of the 2018 elections, the Oregon House of Representatives is composed of 38 Democrats and 22 Republicans. Democrats gained three seats from the previous session.

Speaker: Tina Kotek (D–44 Portland) Speaker Pro Tempore: Paul Holvey (D-8 Eugene) Majority Leader: Jennifer Williamson (D–36 Portland) until July 7, 2019; Barbara Smith Warner (D-45 Portland) after Minority Leader: Carl Wilson (R–3 Grants Pass) until September 16, 2019; Christine Drazan (R-39 Canby) after

District Representative Party Residence Assumed office 1 David Brock Smith Republican Port Orford 2017 2 Gary Leif Republican Roseburg 2018 3 Carl Wilson Republican Grants Pass 2015 4 Duane Stark Republican 2015 5 Pam Marsh Democratic Ashland 2017 6 Kim Wallan Republican Medford 2019 7 Cedric Ross Hayden Republican Fall Creek 2015 8 Paul Holvey Democratic Eugene 2004 9 Caddy McKeown Democratic Coos Bay 2013 10 David Gomberg Democratic Otis 2013 11 Marty Wilde Democratic Eugene 2019 12 John Lively Democratic Springfield 2013 13 Nancy Nathanson Democratic Eugene 2007 14 Julie Fahey Democratic 2017 15 Shelly Boshart Davis Republican Albany 2019 16 Dan Rayfield Democratic Corvallis 2015 17 Sherrie Sprenger Republican Scio 2009 18 Rick LewisRepublican Silverton 201719 Denyc BolesRepublican Salem 2014 Raquel Moore-Green Republican 2019 20 Paul Evans Democratic Monmouth 2015 21 Brian L. Clem Democratic Salem 2007 22 Teresa Alonso Leon Democratic Woodburn 2017 23 Mike Nearman Republican Independence 2015 24 Ron Noble Republican McMinnville 2017 25 Bill Post Republican Keizer 2015 26 Courtney Neron Misslin Democratic Wilsonville 2019 27 Sheri Malstrom Democratic Beaverton 2017 28 Jeff Barker Democratic Aloha 2003 29 Susan McLain Democratic Forest Grove 2015 30 Janeen Sollman Democratic Hillsboro 2017 31 Brad Witt Democratic Clatskanie 2005 32 Tiffiny Mitchell Democratic Astoria 2019 33 Mitch GreenlickDemocratic Portland 2003 Maxine Dexter Democratic 2020 34 Ken Helm Democratic Beaverton 2015 35 Margaret Doherty Democratic Tigard 2009 36 Jennifer Williamson Democratic Portland 2013 Akasha Lawrence-Spence Democratic 2020 37 Rachel Prusak Democratic West Linn 2019 38 Andrea SalinasDemocratic Lake Oswego 2017 39 Christine DrazanRepublican Canby 2019 40 Mark Meek Democratic Gladstone 2017 41 Karin Power Democratic Milwaukie 2017 42 Rob Nosse Democratic Portland 2014 43 Tawna Sanchez Democratic 2017 44 Tina Kotek Democratic 2007 45 Barbara Smith Warner Democratic 2015 46 Alissa Keny-Guyer Democratic 2011 47 Diego Hernandez Democratic 2017 48 Jeff Reardon Democratic Happy Valley 2013 49 Chris Gorsek Democratic Troutdale 2013 50 Carla Piluso Democratic Gresham 2015 51 Janelle Bynum Democratic Happy Valley 2017 52 Anna Williams Democratic Hood River 2019 53 Jack Zika Republican Redmond 2019 54 Cheri Helt Republican Bend 2019 55 Mike McLane Republican Powell Butte 2011 Vikki Breese-Iverson Republican Prineville 2019 56 E. Werner Reschke Republican Klamath Falls 2017 57 Greg Smith Republican Heppner 2001 58 Greg Barreto Republican Cove 2015 59 Daniel Bonham Republican The Dalles 2017 60 Lynn Findley Republican Vale 2018 Mark Owens Republican Crane 2020

See also 2018 Oregon legislative election

References

External links Chronology of regular legislative sessions from the Oregon Blue Book Chronology of special legislative sessions from the Blue Book