Short legislative session wraps up as a flurry of bills come to a vote

After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature adjourn on Friday afternoon.

Bill allows urban growth boundary expansions for senior affordable housing

On a 41-8 vote, the House approved a bill allowing cities to expand their urban growth boundaries to add affordable housing for older adults. 

House Bill 4082, while originally approved by the House, returned to the chamber after the Senate amended the bill to resolve a conflict with House Bill 4035, another bill this session allowing Woodburn to expand its urban growth boundary that awaits Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature. Cities typically have to seek state approval through an often expensive and lengthy process to expand their urban growth boundaries, which function as invisible lines dictating where and how a city can grow. 

The senior housing bill, requested by Kotek, will allow UGB expansions for specific uses including housing options for older adults, manufactured homes, prefabricated structures and manufactured dwelling parks. 

— Robin Linares

Watered-down gun bill passes

Legislation to bolster the rollout of a 2022 voter-approved gun control law that was gutted in the Senate this week got its final vote on the House floor Friday, where it passed on a 51-2 vote. It passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday.

House Republicans walked out last week ahead of a vote on an earlier version of House Bill 4145, saying it infringed on gun rights protected by the Oregon and U.S. constitutions. State and federal courts have been litigating that question since voters approved Measure 114 in 2022. 

The bill started as a wide-ranging firearm safety proposal that would have beefed up permitting processes and background checks under Measure 114, a voter-approved law banning magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition and requiring completed background checks, permits and firearm safety training before acquiring guns. 

But the measure still hasn’t taken effect because of state and federal legal challenges from gun advocates.

Instead of beefing up the law in anticipation of its rollout, House Bill 4145 now simply delays implementation of the law until 2028 to give time for court cases to play out.

— Alex Baumhardt

Omnibus budget-balancing bills pass

Omnibus budget rebalance bills have passed their final vote in the House. State budget writers staring down a $650 million budget deficit at the beginning of the session filled the gaps by disconnecting the state tax code from some provisions of the federal tax code, cutting spending on supplies and services, and leaving more than 130 jobs vacant at the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The moves will spare the transportation agency from hundreds of layoffs during the next 18 months, until lawmakers can come up with more sustainable funding during the long session in 2027.

— Alex Baumhardt

Lawmakers OK $365 million for Moda Center renovation

Lawmakers in the House voted 42-13 to pass Senate Bill 1501 to use state dollars to renovate Portland’s Moda Center. It passed in the Senate on Wednesday 24-6. 

Under the bill, the state would issue $365 million in bonds, in essence borrowing money from investors to pay for construction upfront, repaying the loan with interest over 20 years.

Repayment would be supported by tax revenue tied to Moda events, income tax revenues collected in part from the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team, workers hired to do the renovation work and business activities in the surrounding Rose Quarter.

More than a dozen Democratic supporters shared testimony about the importance of the Moda Center, and the Trail Blazers, to Portland’s economy and reputation. Though the bill passed on bipartisan lines, Republicans who were largely opposed to the proposal criticized the plan for lacking more investment from the city and the team and argued their Democratic colleagues were hypocritical for approving a massive spending project on an arena while claiming the state budget is in dire straits.

— Alex Baumhardt

House honors retiring members, including Springfield Democrat

House representatives started their last 2026 floor session with across-the-isle kudos for their colleagues who are retiring at the end of the year, includig Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield.

— Alex Baumhardt

Limit how much THC goes into each edible fails to pass

An attempt to limit how much THC can be in an individual edible isn’t advancing this year in Oregon.

Senate Bill 1548 was an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the production of individual edibles with more than 10 milligrams of THC, targeting edibles that are meant to be divided into several servings.

Sen. Lisa Reynolds, a Portland Democrat and pediatrician, introduced the bill in response to increasing reports of children seeking medical attention after consuming edibles resembling cookies, brownies and gummies. In 2023, children 5 and younger made up one-third of all cannabis-related cases reported to the Oregon Poison Center.

— Mia Maldonado