Opinion
Capital Chatter: Dangerous times for the Oregon Legislature
This is a dangerous time in the Oregon Legislature. Most legislative committees finished their actual work this week.…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: A weird and whacky week at the Legislature
On Wednesday, I greeted a veteran legislator at the Oregon Capitol with, “Happy Wednesday.” His response: “The only…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Good times might not be blessing for legislative Democrats
Only in Oregon could an infusion of tax dollars create a quandary for lawmakers who are … looking…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: A look into Courtney’s leadership style
State Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, called journalists into his office on Monday to demand that the Legislature…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Just who is in charge at the Oregon Capitol?
The governor and the Legislature are traveling parallel paths. So too are the House and Senate. But parallel…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Cultural competency or political correctness
A debate broke out in the Oregon House on Wednesday, and it might have changed some lawmakers’ minds.…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Bills’ resurrections aren’t miracles, just politics
After a heated public hearing on Monday, three firearms bills in the Oregon Legislature succumbed to accidental deaths.…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: The gloom rolls in as service cuts seem likely
The Oregon lawmakers writing the state budget for 2017-19 are starting to operate on the assumption that the…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s Super Committee
Legislative leaders are thinking of creating a “super committee” to put together the proposed tax on health-care providers,…
Opinion
Capital Chatter: Two months down, three months to go
The 2017 Oregon Legislature convened Feb. 1 and must adjourn in early July. I asked Senate President Peter…