LOC News
And…We’re Done! Sine Die June 25 Ends 2023 Session
It’s hard to pin a single word to describe Oregon’s 82nd legislative session. We’ve used “tumultuous,” “challenging,” “unpredictable,” and “unprecedented” to describe what took place over the last six months at the Capitol. This year’s session ended at 4:27 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, several hours short of the statutory Sine Die at midnight.
In addition to a 42-day walkout from Republican Senators, the final day of session saw some unexpected drama. Normally, legislation is not scheduled for a floor vote unless there is a high level of confidence that the bill will pass. Three bills failed to receive enough Senate votes to advance to Governor Kotek for a signature. These included a priority housing bill from Governor Kotek (HB 3414 - Land Use). The LOC had worked with the governor and her staff to modify HB 3414 and was officially neutral going into the final day. Other interests from land use advocacy and environmental groups remained opposed.
In addition, HB 3013 (Prescription Fee for Consumers) surfaced late in the session and would have added a surcharge to member prescriptions at the urging of advocates for pharmacy benefit managers (PMB). The LOC and its members led this fight to oppose the bill, which would have added $5 million annually to the cost of health care for CIS members. The final bill that failed on the floor was HB 3242 (Medical Rights of Action). The LOC was not involved in this legislation.
See last week’s Bulletin article that described some session wins going into the final weekend of session. A final 2023 session webinar is also scheduled for Friday, July 14 at noon, where we’ll focus on the top-line legislation. More session updates will be coming forward during the summer, including a legislative download during the OCCMA and OMA annual meetings, the LOC’s regional small city meetings, the next Local Focus magazine, and additional LOC Bulletin articles.
It was clear throughout the session that there was an increase in member activity, which helped tremendously with the lobby team from LOC. We appreciate everyone who had a chance to respond to our weekly legislative alerts and those able to strengthen their relationships with legislators.
Contact: Jim McCauley Legislative Director jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 6/30/23