Yesterday at 3 pm the legislature wrapped up our work for the 2011 session with a unanimous vote on the motion to adjourn “sine die”: to remain adjourned until next February.
The motion capped a session marked by bipartisan successes in some areas (redistricting, tax credit reform, creation of an Oregon insurance exchange) and gridlock in others (failure to ban BPA, address the kicker or to pass Tuition Equity legislation). I won’t attempt to dissect the entire session in this email, but look for more details in next week’s edition of my post-session thoughts.
In the meantime, if you have questions about the ultimate fate of particular bills or issues, please send an email, and we’ll let you know.
For now, I’m in a bit of a daze, enjoying this lovely day, having just returned from a nice little walk with Kiki (she’s doing great, by the way). I want to quickly share a couple of pieces of news with you, and remind you (again) about my constituent coffee tomorrow (Saturday) morning. It’s your chance for some immediate post-session feedback.
And of course to wish you all the best possible Fourth of July. (If you’re nearby, join me at the City of Maywood Park’s annual parade and barbecue!)
Legislature Passes Congressional Redistricting Map
In a surprise to many, the legislature came to agreement this week on a compromise plan to redraw the congressional district lines in the state. I mentioned in a previous email that after we came to agreement on the legislative boundaries, I was not optimistic that a similar deal could be struck on the congressional lines. The Democrats and Republicans were still VERY far apart just last week. Fortunately, both sides were able to give a little and agreed upon a map that in the end does not look much different from the current boundaries. Had they not come to agreement, the matter would have gone to the courts, which would have been expensive and the results very unpredictable for both sides.
I believe that this is the first time in a hundred years that both redistricting plans (legislative and congressional) have been decided by the Legislature. Amazing! Many kudos to everyone involved! (especially to the Committee Co-Chairs--Democrats Rep. Chris Garrett and Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, and Republicans Rep. Shawn Lindsay and Sen. Chris Telfer).
You can view a PDF of the new map here. For more details, read the Statesman Journal article.
House Democrats Switch Leaders
Last night, in the hours after adjournment, the House Democratic caucus met for leadership elections. In a secret-ballot vote, the caucus chose Rep. Tina Kotek from North Portland to replace current caucus leader Dave Hunt of Gladstone for the remainder of the current legislative term (2011-12). We also elected several other members to various leadership positions, including my SD23 partner representative, Ben Cannon, who will now serve as the deputy whip.
Dave Hunt has been a superb leader and I’ll miss having him in that role. Tina is great too. Like Dave, she’s a good friend and we’ve worked closely together on a number of policy issues. I look forward to working with her closely in her new role as leader.
You can read Jeff Mapes’ Oregonian article about the change here.
Join Me Tomorrow at Extracto Coffeehouse
For the inside scoop on the end of the session, join me tomorrow morning at Extracto Coffeehouse on Killingsworth. Bring your questions, and your thoughts on what I should focus on during the legislative interim. I’ll see you there.
