QuickTake:

Lawmakers have just two weeks to move their bills out of policy committees and onto their chamber’s floor

Oregon lawmakers opened the 2026 legislative session Monday with a clear rift between Democrats and Republicans over how best to spend their time sprinting to the finish line of the 35-day short legislative session.

That work began in the newly renovated Oregon State Capitol, which has for years closed off its iconic rotunda and most hallways from public access due to repairs aimed at improving accessibility and strengthening the building’s foundation to better withstand earthquakes. 

State legislators were greeted with small plants in yellow pots from the Oregon Association of Nurseries on each of their desks, and the new Capitol expansion also features more common meeting areas, hearing rooms and press offices.

Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, a professionally trained opera singer, led lawmakers in singing a birthday celebration for Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte.

The first day, however, served as a stark reminder of the dueling priorities between lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle in Oregon, who are at odds over whether to respond to the Trump administration’s violent immigration crackdown and Oregon’s automatically replicated tax cuts due to last year’s federal GOP tax and spending megalaw.

“Colleagues, we have work to do here in Oregon, but we also have to think about that national anthem that we heard just now. That flag is still flying above the ramparts,” said state Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis. “It’s a promise. It’s an ideal that we haven’t met yet, and it is absolutely under attack.”

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, struck a different tone.

“People aren’t looking for speeches or slogans. They’re looking for signs that we’ve heard them at the grocery store, at the gas pump, around the kitchen table when the bills come due,” he said. “They’re asking some very basic questions: Can I afford to stay in my home? Can my kids get a good education? Can I feel safe in my community?”

Reporter Mia Maldonado contributed to this report.

Shaanth Kodialam Nanguneri is a reporter based in Salem, Oregon covering Gov. Tina Kotek and the Oregon Legislature. He grew up in the Bay Area, California and went on to study at UCLA, reporting for the Daily Bruin until graduating in March 2025. Previously, he was a reporting intern covering criminal justice and health for CalMatters in Sacramento, California. He is always eager to tell stories that illuminate how complex and intricate policies from state government can help shape the lives of everyday Oregonians.