Here's what happened in the Oregon Legislature
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Oregon lawmakers hit the ground running in the first week of the short session, with proposals for adding housing, controlling drug abuse, and fixing cell phones.
The big picture: Three days into the 35-day session, the state revenue forecast eased nerves when it projected a balance of about $1.7 billion in June 2025, slightly more than expected.
What's happening: Gov. Tina Kotek testified on a top priority, her housing bill, at a Senate hearing Thursday.
- The governor is seeking $500 million to spur housing production and help the state meet her goal of building 36,000 homes annually.
- Kotek wants another $65 million to keep shelters open and $35 million for rental assistance.
- It is unclear when the measure may come up for a committee vote.
Also, on Wednesday the Joint Interim Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response considered Oregon's fentanyl crisis.
- They weighed the severity of punishment and how to help users into treatment while listening to public testimony from people affected by overdose and addiction.
What we're watching: A measure known as "right to repair" would offer more affordable options to fix devices such as phones and tablets.
- At hearings on Tuesday and Thursday, sponsor Sen. Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro) said that by limiting "parts pairing" by tech companies, local repair shops would be eligible for more of this work, and consumers could fix rather than throw away their devices.
- Proponents say the bill could serve as a model for other parts of the country.
- Similar legislation passed in four other states and had the backing of Google.
One fun thing: Obadiah "Obie" Rutledge was unanimously elected secretary of the Senate.
- When he was the reading clerk for the Oregon House of Representatives in 2007, Rutledge was clocked reading 44 words out loud in 10 seconds.