Annual Sessions Will Create More Headache

Today Senate President proposed annual Legislative Session as a better way to run government. Coming from a man who has spent nearly 25 years in the State Capitol, are we truly surprised. More politicians spending more time does not equal more progress. Even under our current system I have seen how an entire month can go by with no productive hearings or progress. Stretch that over years, does not equate to productivity.

Upcoming House Speaker, Jeff Merkley, has a great point when he states that annual sessions hit hard on lawmakers who have full-time jobs. One lawmaker I know already has to slip out of the building early everyday during the regular Session to catch-up at work. This means fewer ordinary Oregonians will be able to manage the job.

Coincidently, many states are looking at the few that do meet every two years as a possible example for their Legislature. I suppose no good deed goes unpunished in Oregon politics.

As I stated in the Statesman Journal today, “If this happens, taxpayers will have to be in a state of red alert every year, instead of every other year, Every year, they will be threatened with more taxes and more regulations.”

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