Oregon, 2012: Addressing Budgetary Issues in The First Voter-Mandated Annual Session

Abstract

DOI 10.1515/cjpp-2013-0029 Calif. J. Politics Policy 2013; 5(3): 511–521 Donald Stabrowski* Oregon, 2012: Addressing Budgetary Issues in The First Voter-Mandated Annual Session Abstract: The major item to address in the 2012 Oregon Legislative session was a $340 million shortfall in revenues that came as no surprise to the lawmakers. When the last session adjourned in June, 2011, and given the state of the economy at the time, lawmakers realized they would be returning shortly to the capitol to balance the budget for the remainder of the biennial budgetary process. Surpri­ singly, even though this was certainly the most important item to address in this session, it did not take long to do so, nor was it accomplished with much rancor. This budget report covers the 2012 session, its political setting, and economy’s impact on the state budget. Keywords: budget; FY 2012–2013; governor; legislature; Oregon. *Corresponding author: Donald Stabrowski, University of Portland 1 Introduction For the first time in Oregon history, a voter-mandated annual session of the leg­ islature met at the beginning of February 1. It concluded on March 5, a 35-day session that exceeded the 30-day limit legislators had set for themselves at the outset of the session. Over the past decade the Oregon legislature has had to return several times in the off years of the former bi-yearly process primarily to address shortfalls in the budget. As a result of calling special sessions between the 2-year process, both the legislature and Oregonians realized the need to have a regular shorter interim session to address budget issues that would last for no more than 35 days in even numbered years, and for a longer session from January to June in odd numbered years that corresponds with Oregon’s biennial budgetary process. As predicted, the major item in the 2012 session was a $340-million short­ fall in revenues that came as no surprise to lawmakers. When the last session adjourned in June, 2011, lawmakers realized that, given the state of the economy at the time, they would be returning to the capitol shortly to balance the budget for the remainder of the biennial budgetary process. Surprisingly, even though