Parking spaces are opening up around the Oregon Capitol. Legislative committees are canceling unneeded meetings. The 2025 Oregon Legislature lives in relative tranquility, awaiting the political storms.

This is how Rep. Jami Cate, R-Lebanon, said the Capitol “has entered a brief moment of relative calm. But make no mistake — this isn’t the end of the action. Many of the most high-profile bills of the session, including those dealing with taxes, firearms and other divisive issues, remain bottled up in committees like Rules, Revenue, and Ways and Means.”

Friday is the 109th day of the legislative session. It also is a deadline for scheduling work sessions on many bills that remain alive. Otherwise, they also will die – more or less.

Nothing is certain until the Legislature adjourns, which under the Oregon Constitution can be no later than its 160th day, which is Sunday, June 29.

As Dirk VanderHart of Oregon Public Broadcasting reported this week, “Oregon lawmakers have fallen in love with so-called ‘placeholder’ bills, and that is posing problems for transparency.” More than 600 were introduced this year – nearly a fifth of all bills.

He wrote that “placeholders are a way for lawmakers to reserve their place in line — ordering legislative attorneys to draft a dummy proposal that might or might not be completely swapped out for another idea later.”

Such bills often call for a study. For example, Senate Bill 8 is an 80-word mandate that the Oregon Health Authority “shall study behavioral health” and report back to the Legislature by Sept. 15, 2026.

Another study? Yeah, right. 

The bill exists in case lawmakers want to do something but the deadline has passed for introducing new bills. Legislators can amend their ideas “relating to behavioral health” into SB 8. Perhaps they will respond to the disturbing behavioral health audit released Thursday by the Secretary of State Audits Division.

Of course, any such action could crash into the reason why much of the Legislature is in a holding pattern. The quarterly economic and revenue forecast, which determines how much money lawmakers are allowed to spend during the next two years, will be released Wednesday morning.

Gallup reports three out of four Americans think the economy is either slowing down, in a recession or in a depression.

“We’re all waiting to see the revenue forecast, to decide what resources will be available,” Gov. Tina Kotek said Monday while talking with journalists about housing/homelessness legislation and other priorities.

It’s beyond my comprehension how state economists can make an accurate long-term forecast amid the back-and-forth economic decisions of the Trump administration that will affect Oregon, whose economy depends on foreign trade and on thousands of foreign-born workers.

Besides, nearly a third of the state budget comes from federal funds, which the Trump administration is restricting.

“If the types of cuts that the Trump administration and Congress are contemplating go through, every state – including Oregon – will be devastated by those budget cuts. There is no way for state dollars, no special session or reserve funds that will be able to make up for that,” Kotek said. “I would just hope that Congress does the right thing and does not slash budgets that matter to people in their home states.”

As of Monday, 3,432 measures – 3,277 bills plus other resolutions – had been introduced during the 2025 Legislature. The House had passed 238 bills; the Senate, 196.

With 51 days remaining in the session, just over seven weeks, much is left to do. The Senate and House hold floor sessions only four days a week, but more is happening than meets the public eye.

“As with icebergs, the visible activity is just the tip — most of the real work happens below the surface,” Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, wrote in his constituent newsletter this week.

“We’re in the heart of session, where we debate, advocate priorities and try to build consensus. Every issue has its advocacy ecosystem — coalitions, nonprofits and individuals pushing for their causes. While many align around shared values, each has its own ‘go-home bills’ they want to see passed.

“That passion is a strength — but also a challenge. Too often, advocates struggle to reconcile their vision with the realities of a limited budget, representative government and a complex political moment. The most effective advocates are those who’ve learned, sometimes painfully, that progress often comes incrementally. Governance in the 21st century offers few easy wins, and even the best ideas can stall when politics, pride or miscommunication get in the way.

“Right now, we’re working through the most difficult and divisive proposals.”

In other words, negotiating among the House, Senate, governor, Democrats, Republicans and various interest groups in preparation for the upcoming political storms.