The legislature is back in action, meeting for its second "supplemental session."  Oregon, as we know, has a biennial legislature: it officially meets every two years.  Legislative leaders feel that the state would be better served if we have annual sessions.  To test this belief, a short, 2008 session was conducted to handle matters that needed immediate action.  Most folks thought it was successful.  We are now in the middle of the second trial run.

My initial hit is:  so far, not so good.  If either Ballot Measure 66 or 67 had failed, this session would have been dedicated to cutting school and human services budgets.  Having dodged that bullet, much of the effort is directed to providing relief to those badly hurt by the continuing recession and to pushing through legislation that does not appear to need immediate action, has not had thorough stakeholder participation in its development and are products of insider interests. 

Other than actions being taken to provide economic relief, much of this session seems to be given over to paying off political debts and moving pet projects of powerful interests.  Legislators seem to be willing to look the other way in this rush to judgment while a large number of bills with emergency clauses (this means they become law immediately upon enactment rather than waiting the usual six month period) get pushed through.  Some say: "If there's a problem, we'll fix it in 2011."

I remember that the original argument in favor of annual sessions was that the legislature needed more time to carefully deliberate about important policy matters and proposed legislation.  This 2010 session is proving just the opposite.  I'm seeing less deliberation and more insider dealing.