Oregon State Legislature's Special Session Set to Start February 4, 2008

Senate President Peter Courtney's supplemental legislative sessio will commence February 4th, 2008 with an expected end date of Frida, February 29th. Oregon currently stands as one of a handful of states where annual sessions are illegal. For those reasons this special session has been deemed an emergency session by either Legislative leadership or the governor. This first-of-its-kind supplemental session will serve as a trial run for annual sessions.

Goals for this upcoming session set by legislative leadership include:

• The need for 24-hour state police patrols on state highways.
• Holding state agencies accountable for their spending and waste.
• Ensuring in-home care for seniors.
• Developing a sufficient water supply, especially for Oregon's rural communities.

Though ORA does not foresee any topics on the proposed agenda that would have major affects on the restaurant industry, we will have a presence at this session and keep our members updated throughout the month of February.