The past year brought plenty of surprises with the pandemic, civil unrest, and wildfires all leaving a stamp on public policy in Oregon. Throughout 2020, lobbyists and lawyers alike worked hard to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of executive orders, special sessions, and temporary rules. 2021 is sure to be just as dynamic. 

It may be cliché, but unprecedented really is the best way to describe each meeting of the Oregon legislature in 2020. In February, the regular legislative session melted down over carbon emissions policy when Republicans left the state to deny the 2/3 quorum needed to conduct legislative business and Democrats refused to negotiate over their return. This left several business issues unresolved, including tweaks to the new “Corporate Activities Tax”, a historic agreement on pesticides between environmentalists and Oregon’s timber industry, and a $600 million budget surplus for the state. Little did legislators (or the rest of us know) they’d be back in the Capitol several more times throughout the year with new challenges and less clarity on the health of state coffers.