Seventy-fifth Oregon Legislative Assembly

The seventy-fifth Oregon Legislative Assembly will convene in January 2009 for its biennial regular session. All of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives and half of the 30 seats in the State Senate are up for election in 2008; the general election for those seats will take place on November 4.

The Oregon Legislative Assembly was controlled by the Oregon Republican Party from 1990 until recent years; Democrats took control of the Senate in the 2004 elections, and of the House in the 2006 elections.Fact|date=September 2008 Many Republican legislators resigned or declined to run for reelection in 2008, and political analysts expect the Democratic party to increase its majority in November.

The Republican House caucus released an agenda for the 2009 session; priorities include improving economic growth, bringing accountability to state government, improving the state's education system, extending health care and extending in-home care for seniors, enhancing public safety, and managing natural resources. [ [http://www.leg.state.or.us/press_releases/hro_agenda_071608.pdf Oregon House Republicans: Building a better Oregon] (2009 agenda)] House Majority Leader Dave Hunt responded to the agenda in July 2008.cite press release
title=House Majority Leader Dave Hunt Statement on House Republican Agenda for 2009
url=http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:EOX0y4XdcdoJ:www.leg.state.or.us/press_releases/hunt_pr__07_18_08.pdf
date=July 12, 2008] Hunt characterized the agenda as a departure from the failed policies of the George W. Bush administration, and stated that the problems Republicans now seek to solve resulted from 14 years of Republican leadership. The House Democrats also released an agenda for 2009. [Oregon House Democrats [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ygB2g1qKjt4J:www.leg.state.or.us/press_releases/hdo_agenda_080408.pdf 2009 Roadmap for Oregon’s Future] ]

In recent years, the legislature has been exploring the possibility of shifting from biannual to annual regular sessions.Fact|date=September 2008 Oregon is one of only six states that holds regular sessions only once every two years. The legislature is expected to refer a ballot measure to accomplish this during the 2009 session; a ballot measure is required because the change will require a change to the Oregon Constitution.Fact|date=September 2008

See also

* Oregon legislative elections, 2008
* Seventy-fourth Oregon Legislative Assembly
* List of Oregon ballot measures

References

External links

* [http://bluebook.state.or.us/state/legis/legis17.htm Chronology of regular legislative sessions] from Oregon Blue Book
* [http://bluebook.state.or.us/state/legis/legis18a.htm Chronology of special legislative sessions] from Blue Book
* [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/2007reg.htm List of members of 2007 session] from Oregon State Archives