OR Lege: Decorum and other observations.

Carla Axtman

Last week I noted that State Representative Julie Parrish (R-West Linn) was publicly displaying her legislative temper tantrums on her official Facebook page. This week, she doubles down with rants on taxes and bipartisanship. A model of legislative decorum, she is not.

The Oregon House is continuing their work on revenue generation. Last week, Republicans attempted to block the revenue bill that ultimately passed and went to the Senate. Sources tell me that the GOP leadership attempted to grind the process to a halt but were out maneuvered. Ultimately, there'll be some effort needed to reconcile what both chambers want in terms of revenue. With the Senate having a greater share of Republicans, it will be more difficult to pass a broad revenue generation package.

The work in the Senate is also complicated due to an accident suffered by State Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose). One week ago, Johnson was in what her Facebook page describes as a "low-impact" automobile accident while on the way to Salem. Johnson suffered a broken pelvis in the accident and had to undergo surgery at OHSU. No word yet when she'll be able to return to work in the Capitol.

The House Republicans also seem to have chosen to highlight Governor Kitzhaber's trip to Bhutan, making fun of the idea that there is more to defining a region's success than simply the bottom line budget. Apparently this is a bad thing, presumably because there are no topless bars involved.

Votes on the House floor today:

HB 2690: A bill to improve transparency of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs)

HB 3276: A bill sponsored by Rep. Caddy McKeown to spur economic development and improve movement of freight at the Port of Coos Bay

Later this week, drivers cards for immigrants should get through the House and head to the Governor's desk.

On the Senate floor today we should see a vote on SB 606 on how communities can ensure protections for wave energy siting. Tuesday's floor votes include a bill to tighten up exemptions for child immunizations. SB 132 requires parents list a religious or scientific reason to opt out.

By Carla Axtman April 29, 2013