Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Snow Halts Oregon Legislature

A view of the Capitol mall in Salem on Thursday afternoon.
Chris Lehman
/
Northwest News Network
A view of the Capitol mall in Salem on Thursday afternoon.

Oregon lawmakers will take a rare snow day Friday. The wintry forecast prompted legislative leaders to cancel all hearings and floor sessions for the day.

House Speaker Tina Kotek says the decision is meant to keep members of the public out of harm's way.

"Our first priority is to keep people safe," she says. "So we don't want people wanting to engage in the public process traveling on unsafe roads."

The day off means lawmakers will have to work longer hours next week in order to meet deadlines to advance legislation. Most bills that don't get preliminary approval by next Thursday will be considered dead.

Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”