This content was published: June 30, 2009. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
We’re outta here – the Legislature adjourns for 2009
Photos and story by Dana Haynes
Boom. Gonesville.
The 2009 Legislature adjourned sine die last night at 9:45 p.m. “Sine die” is Latin for “without a day.”
Basically, at the end of every floor session, the Speaker of the House or the Senate President (or their various stand-ins) would adjourn “until tomorrow” or “until Monday.” But on the last day of the session, you adjourn without a day of return. Sine die.
It was an incredibly difficult session, thanks to the recession. Tough choices were required in both chambers. Community colleges walk away with a budget cut of about 10 percent, and we’re counting ourselves lucky: We were facing much deeper cuts a month ago.
There are some new taxes on corporations and the well-to-do. Will those get referred to voters? Quite likely. If voters overturn the new taxes, then we’re back at Square 1, regarding everyone’s budgets. Ours as well.
Thanks for those of you who checked out this blog from day to day. I hope it wasn’t as wonky and insider-baseball as I feared. I will update it from time to time, but not daily as I did during session (this is, I should point out, blog number 113).
Good luck this summer.
dana
About Dana Haynes
Dana Haynes, joined PCC in 2007 as the manager of the Office of Public Affairs, directing the college's media and government relations. Haynes spent the previous 20 years as a reporter, columnist and editor for Oregon newspapers, including ... more »