The stalled session of the Oregon legislature reached biblical proportions on Monday as 40 days and 40 nights have passed since the Senate last met on May 3.

But evidence of a possible compromise remained afloat around the Capitol which could bring a possible end to the record-setting boycott of the Senate by nine recalcitrant Republicans and an Independent ally bent on blocking abortion and gun control bills.

Gov. Tina Kotek and Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, Democratic veterans of the past episodes of late June partisan brinksmanship, expressed restrained hope over the weekend. The faint optimism renewed rumors a deal might get done before the June 25 constitutional deadline requiring the House and Senate to drop their gavels and go home.

“The positive news is everyone is continuing to talk,” Kotek said Friday. Two days later, Dembrow was hoping that just hoping wasn’t enough to sink a rescue plan that might save hundreds of pieces of legislation on food, wildfires, schools, health and other issues.

“I don’t want to say anything to jinx the current state of play, but I will say that at this point I’m optimistic,” Dembrow said late Sunday.

As of Monday if was just talk. Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, opted for a “pro forma” floor session of less than one minute to adjourn until Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. 

No details emerged from marathon talks about which side was giving ground on previously steadfast positions.

The change since last week was primarily one of tone. A scenario was floated that somehow, some way, the 10 absent senators could be convincted  to return.

The state budget, 500 or more bills, and nearly 70 appointments by Kotek to state commissions and other positions would switch from dead stop to full speed ahead. A furious pace needed to beat the clock to midnight at the end of June 25.

Kotek can wield a veto at the end of the session, but said her role at the moment was to be “an outside cajoler” urging others on.

“We have to resolve this crisis,” she said.

Both Kotek and Dembrow stopped short of saying a deal was done to bring the Senate back. Neither spelled out what the deal might look like if reached, including the fate of House Bill 2002, an abortion rights and transgender medical care package. The survival of HB 2005, a gun control package, was also in play.

“I think all these pieces of legislation should get a fair vote on the floor and should pass,” Kotek said.

But the governor added that she would support whatever move legislators can reach to resolve the impasse.

“This is a practical conversation,” Kotek said. “One can want things to be different, but you need to have people be willing to take the votes to either edit the bill (or) move the bill. What I am hearing is there could be a possibility of something that could get the votes to move forward. I will support what they can get done.”

The moribund talks restarted late last week with Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Milwaukie, working to find a middle ground with Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, the boycott leader.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that the group in talks had been expanded to include Knopp, Taylor, Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, Sen.Lynn Findley, R-Vale, House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, and House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville.

“Will people be willing to change their minds enough to move something?” Kotek said. “And I think that’s the question.”