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 (Les AuCoin), 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 pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Lawmakers scurried out of Salem on Friday to end their one month, even-numbered year session at the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon.

As a state government manager and state lobbyist who labored at the Capitol for more than 40 years, several things seem to be true this time around:

• Legislators got out of town on time.  On the basis of a two-year limit on the days to be in session, legislators made it out on time.  They had to be done by March 7; they were done by March 4.

• Legislators had a lot of money to spend in contrast to some past sessions when they were cutting budgets.

• About 130 bills were heading toward Governor Kate Brown for her signature and most observers said there were none she planned to veto.

• Among controversy topics lawmakers passed:  Agreed that farmworkers should earn overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week this year; voted to keep the Elliott State Forest in public hands as a place to research forest management; approved preventing police officers from stopping motorists for some minor infractions; decided against allowing statewide self-service gas pumps; passed on an opportunity to put caps on contributions to political campaigns; and gave up on an effort to clear the convictions of people found guilty by non-unanimous jury votes, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has found that system unconstitutional. 

• At the same time, it appeared legislators avoided too much political friction, at least anything that was apparent from the outside, which could have included, but did not, walk-outs to stop action.

In many ways, one of the most significant aspect of this session:  Key departures

For one, Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, presided over his last legislative session in the top job.  [There might be a short floor session later this year to consider appointments to State Board and Commissions, but in terms of legislative policy leadership, Courtney is done.  He is the longest-serving Senate President, having had the job since 2003.]

Second, Senator Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, resigned before the session to run for governor, so her absence was noted, especially because of the way, even though a Democrat, she worked the middle at the Capitol.  That trait could help make a credible run for governor next fall.

Third, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, also resigned before the session to run governor and, in the general election, voters could see both Kotek and Johnson running for the state’s top executive level job. 

Fourth, Democrat Governor Kate Brown has nine more months in the job, but no one knows yet whether she will serve out all the remaining months of her final term.  Rumors continue to circulate that she could take a job in the Biden Administration.

With the departures, the Legislature is in for new leadership.  Representative Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, appears to have solidified his hole on the House Speaker position.

No one knows who for sure will seek to replace Courtney in the Senate, though one likely leading candidate could be Senator Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, who appears to have performed well as Senate Majority Leader.

And, of course, there will be a new governor in office starting in 2023.  Former Speaker Kotek is the leading Democrat candidate.  Former House Former House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, D-Canby, has been raising money strongly, so could be the leading Republican in the spring primary.

But, also don’t sell former senator Johnson short.  She could be the first independent candidate to ascend to the Governor’s Office.