PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite past-time – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

Several of my former colleagues at CFM Strategic Communications – now called CFM Advocates – will be spending long days at the Capitol in Salem for the next month or so.

They are there as lobbyists for what has come to be called “the short legislative session.”

But the reality is that the session may be even shorter than originally planned.

That’s because Republican members of the Oregon House and the Oregon Senate may decide to walk out rather than tolerate what they believe is an over-the-top climate change bill called “cap and trade.”

If they walk out, it would deprive the process of a quorum which must exist for any business to be done. And, in an already short session, that could be the death of the session this time around.

Here’s how my CFM colleagues wrote about the issue in their Capitol Insider blog:

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2020 Session Opens Under Shadow of a Potential GOP Walkout

“The 2020 Oregon legislative session convenes today, but it isn’t certain what will happen when it does as both Senate and House Republicans have shown signs they will walk out to block passage of another Democratic attempt at a cap-and-trade measure.

“’It’s just ungodly how many bills and what type of bills are being proposed for a 35-day session,’ Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. was quoted as saying in a story by Oregon Public Broadcasting. ‘To try to do climate change policy in 35 days when it should be done over five or six months — it’s a crying shame.’”

“In addition to cap-and-trade, other controversial issues abound – foster care, public records, gun control measures, a declaration of a statewide homeless emergency, increased funding for mental health services, more investment in emergency preparedness and a handful of new taxes.

“Governor Brown and Democrat leaders have made cap-and-trade legislation a top 2020 session priority after a similar bill failed to pass in the Senate in the waning days of the 2019 session. Democrats say they have made concessions to lessen opposition and ease impacts on rural areas. Republicans have expressed doubts the concessions go far enough.

“Budget issues will be prominent in the 2020 session. The Department of Human Services is requesting an additional $126.8 million in spending authority, $14.3 million of which would go toward reducing the number of children placed in foster care. The Oregon Health Authority is seeking $30 million to bolster staffing, open additional mental health beds and lay groundwork for new residential treatment centers.

“Brown wants $12.7 million to ensure the ShakeAlert warning system is operational by 2012. She also wants $150 million or more to enhance the state’s wildfire capability and forestland management to avoid fires.

“A certain flashpoint will come from a Democrat proposal, House Bill 4005, to require gun owners to secure their weapons with trigger locks. Senate Bill 1538 would allow local governments and school districts to ban concealed weapons.”

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When the idea of annual legislative session was proposed in 2010, it required changing Oregon’s Constitution to achieve the objective and that would require a ballot measure. The idea was sold to voters as a way to address emergency budget issues and to consider other non-major issues that could not wait for the normal long legislative session every other year.

Things have changed, so much so that some of those interested in legislative processes in Oregon have begun saying it may be time to re-think the annual, short-session idea. Do away with it, they say.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not vote in favor of annual sessions. I thought it was a mistake then, suggesting that we were moving toward a professional legislature that could end up resembling Congress.

And that would not be a good result.