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29-574: Oregon’s 1981 Legislature enacted legislation that unified the state courts into the Oregon Judicial Department. The district, circuit, tax, and both appellate courts were combined beginning in 1983. In 1997, the Legislature then combined the district and circuit courts, and in 1998 added a Magistrate Division to the Tax Court. Four courts make up Oregon’s state court system. The highest court

58-441: A quorum . Oregon Ballot Measure 113 was passed in 2022 to disqualify senators with ten unexcused absences from serving in the legislature following their current term, largely in response to a series of walkouts by Republican senators. In the interim between legislative sessions, special study groups made up of state legislators with interests or expertise in the specific study areas investigate issues that will be addressed during

87-399: A constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to call itself into session. In either case, special sessions are permitted only "in the event of an emergency." Voters narrowly defeated a constitutional amendment in 1990 that would have established annual sessions. In 1982 a special session lasted 37 days, and the governor called the assembly into special session five times in 2002, for

116-544: A power sharing contract whereby Democratic senators nominated the Senate President while Republican senators chaired key committees. Like certain other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the United States Senate , the state Senate can confirm or reject the governor's appointments to state departments, commissions, boards, and other state governmental agencies. The current Senate president

145-452: A total of 52 days. The 2006 special session was the shortest in Oregon's history: five pieces of legislation were passed in only six hours. The legislative body may also call itself into special session "in the event of an emergency," although it has never done so. The legislature's regular sessions were every two years until 2009. The legislative session in 2010 that referred Measure 71 to voters

174-644: Is Rob Wagner of Lake Oswego . Oregon state senators serve four-year terms without term limits . In 2002, the Oregon Supreme Court struck down the decade-old Oregon Ballot Measure 3 , that had restricted state senators to two terms (eight years) on procedural grounds. According to the Oregon Constitution , two-thirds of senators are required to form a quorum . Republican senators have used this rule to block legislation by absenting themselves. In response to this practice, Oregon Ballot Measure 113

203-546: Is a Chief Judge appointed by the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. Oregon’s Tax Court has a Magistrate and Regular divisions, with the Magistrate Division consisting of magistrate judges handling cases at the trial level The Regular Division hears appeals from the Magistrate Division. The Tax Court’s jurisdiction includes exclusive jurisdiction regarding facts and legal questions arising from all tax laws within

232-643: Is compensated accordingly. Legislators are paid $ 33,852 per year. Presiding officers (the Speaker of the House and Senate President) are compensated double, $ 67,704 per year. While in session, legislators also receive a $ 151 per diem. In the 2022 Regular Session, at the request of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) and Family Forward Oregon, a SB1566 was introduced to increase legislators pay. SB 1566 establishes an annual salary for members of

261-581: Is the Oregon Supreme Court, which hears some select direct appeals, but hears appeals mainly from the Oregon Tax and the Oregon Court of Appeals. The two divisions of the Tax Court provide trial level and appellate level court proceedings with appeals going directly to the Oregon Supreme Court. The Oregon Circuit Courts are the trial level courts of the state for both criminal and civil proceedings, with

290-644: Is the State Court Administrator. Housed in the Oregon Supreme Court Building , their role is to assist the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in supervising and administrating the state courts. Created in 1971, the office also is responsible for keeping a current list of attorneys allowed to practice in the state and coordinating with the Bar for new lawyer admissions. Other divisions operated by

319-506: The United States Congress (with the vice president) is the head of the legislative body and holder of the casting vote in the event of a tie. Instead, a separate position of Senate president is in place, removed from the state executive branch . If the chamber is tied, legislators must devise their own methods of resolving the impasse. In the 72nd Oregon Legislative Assembly in 2003, for example, Oregon's state senators entered into

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348-455: The 2011 session. The first 35 regular sessions (i.e. until 1929) lasted 50 days or less. Since 1949 no annual session was shorter than 100 days. The longest session was the 72nd regular session, at 227 days, ending August 27, 2003. More recent sessions ended in June or July. The Governor of Oregon was the only person who could call the assembly into special sessions until 1976, when voters approved

377-661: The Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability investigates complaints made against judges. Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon . The Legislative Assembly is bicameral , consisting of an upper and lower house : the Senate , whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives , with 60 members elected to two-year terms. There are no term limits for either house in

406-565: The Legislative Assembly equal to the annual occupational mean wage estimate for Oregon in the prior year, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Oregon Employment Department. And it directs the salary to be adjusted to conform to the mean only once every two years. It also authorizes a child care allowance for members who have children or dependents under the age of 13. Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said at

435-610: The Legislative Assembly. Each Senate district is composed of exactly two House districts: Senate District 1 contains House Districts 1 and 2, SD 2 contains HD 3 and HD 4, and so on. (Maps of Senate districts can be found in the Oregon State Senate article.) Senate districts contain about 127,700 people, and are redrawn every ten years. The legislature is termed as a "citizens' assembly" (meaning that most legislators have other jobs). Since 1885, its regular sessions of up to 160 days occurred in odd-numbered years, beginning on

464-589: The November 2010 general election amended the state's constitution and changed the schedule of regular sessions from bi-annual to annual. Senate Joint Resolution 41 was voted on as state Ballot Measure 71 , which passed statewide by a margin of more than 2 to 1. With limited exceptions, the constitutional changes enacted through Measure 71 limit the length of legislative sessions beginning in odd-numbered years to 160 calendar days, and sessions beginning in even-numbered years to 35 calendar days. The changes took effect with

493-528: The Senate Rules Committee. In light of this, three veteran House Democrats jointly announced they would not seek reelection because of the apparent failure of SB1566. The three state representatives, Karin Power , Rachel Prusak and Anna Williams , said they could not afford to work full time for part-time pay. “We are a lawyer, nurse practitioner, and social worker,” the three said in a statement. “Seeing

522-462: The department include indigent defense, the state bar and rule and procedure making bodies. Oregon’s Public Defense Services Commission provides indigent legal counsel for defendants in Oregon’s court system, including civil and criminal proceedings. The Oregon State Bar regulates practicing attorneys in the state including disciplinary matters. The Council on Court Procedures revises the court rules, and

551-545: The hardships that families faced in our professional lives convinced us to run for office knowing these families deserved voices in our state government. Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon . Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly . There are 30 members of

580-461: The hearing that the low pay deters Oregonians from serving in the Legislature and urged the new salary be approved. He said the current pay serves to encourage only those with personal wealth or with multiple jobs to run for the legislature. Because of the high time commitment legislative positions require, the current salary also makes it financially difficult for some to stay in office once they’ve been elected. Ultimately, SB1566 did not make it out of

609-636: The lower state courts, as well as some unique issues such as electoral districting and ballot measure titling. Appeals from the court’s decisions can only go to the United States Supreme Court . The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in Oregon. With some exceptions, it has jurisdiction to hear all civil and criminal appeals from circuit courts, and to review actions of most state administrative agencies. The court consists of ten judges elected statewide in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms. Their administrative head

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638-499: The majority of appeals going to the Oregon Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals handle appeals from the Circuit Courts and county courts, with appeals of their decisions going to the Oregon Supreme Court. Oregon’s highest state court is the Oregon Supreme Court. The court has seven justices elected statewide to six-year terms. These justices then elect one member to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice. The court hears appeals from

667-523: The next legislative session. In addition, the state's legislative Emergency Board , which is jointly chaired by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, can take action to provide additional funds to state agencies for activities required by law or that arise unexpectedly during the legislative interim. The job of a member of the Legislative Assembly is considered a "part-time" job in Oregon, and

696-558: The second Monday in January. Effective 2012, the legislature moved into an annual session, with the even-numbered years having a "short session" of 35 days or less, beginning in February. Bills may be introduced in either house, and must flow through a committee before being voted upon. Bills calling for increased revenue must be introduced in the House of Representatives. How ideas become law . A legislative resolution referred to voters in

725-518: The state Senate, representing 30 districts across the state, each with a population of 141,242. The state Senate meets in the east wing of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem . Oregon, along with Arizona , Maine , New Hampshire , and Wyoming , is one of the five U.S. states to not have the office of the lieutenant governor , a position which for most upper houses of state legislatures and for

754-564: The state of Oregon. An elected Tax Judge serves as the head of the court. In 1998, the state combined its state District Courts into the Oregon Circuit Courts. These courts are divided into 27 judicial districts across the entire state. The courts are trial level courts with general jurisdiction. Except in six Eastern Oregon counties, the courts have jurisdiction over probate issues, adoptions, guardianship and conservatorships, and juvenile items. The department’s chief operating officer

783-487: Was a special session approved during the 2009 session by a majority of legislators, who were hoping to eventually win approval of a change to regular annual sessions. The push for annual sessions dates back to at least 1981, when a poll of legislators found that two-thirds favored a shift to annual sessions. The Constitution of Oregon requires 3/5s vote in both houses in order to pass new taxes or increase existing ones. In addition, two-thirds of senators are required to form

812-544: Was appointed to fill a vacant seat in Douglas county by her cousin, governor Oswald West . Following some controversy concerning whether West had the authority to appoint someone to fill the vacancy, Clarke campaigned and was elected by voters in 1915. She took office five years before Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution protected the right of all American women to vote. In 1982, Mae Yih became

841-459: Was passed in 2022 to disqualify members with ten unexcused absences from serving in the legislature following their current term. However, a Republican walkout went for six weeks during the 82nd Assembly in May and June 2023, the longest ever. Kathryn Clarke was the first woman to serve in Oregon's Senate. Women became eligible to run for the Oregon state legislature in 1914 and later that year Clarke

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