Heading into next year’s legislative session, roughly one-third of the members of the Oregon Housewill be new to the lawmaking process.
While the November 8 election has not yet been certified, current results would have 11 new Democrats and ten new Republicans take the oath of office in January. That's 21 new members out of a 60-seat chamber.
While two of the Republicans have served in the past—Kevin Mannix and Jeff Helfrich—the bulk of the new crop of lawmakers will be new to the legislative process.
Getting those new representatives up to speed is about more than just the mechanics of how to cast votes or introduce a bill, said House Democratic leader Julie Fahey of Eugene. “How do you truly work to get good policy passed, and passed with the right process that incorporates input from stakeholders and the people who will be impacted,” she said.
As she enters her fourth term, Fahey will be one of the longest-serving current members of the House. As caucus leader, she helps set the agenda for the majority party during the legislative session. (While Republicans picked two seats in the election, Democrats will still hold the majority in the Oregon House.)
Fahey said key details of that agenda are still being worked out, but she said some broad themes are emerging: "Looking at ways we can invest in and address the issues of homelessness and affordable housing, supporting working families and small businesses, working on driving down the cost of living, investing in community safety, taking on the mental and behavioral health crisis in this state, and making sure our schools have what they need to be successful."
Fahey is one of four southern Willamette Valley Democrats holding prominent leadership positions in the Oregon Legislature. House Speaker Dan Rayfield hails from Corvallis. And both the House Speaker Pro Tem and the Senate President Pro Tem are from Eugene: Rep. Paul Holvey and Sen. James Manning.
Of those four positions, all but Fahey's role as caucus leader are unofficial until the House or Senate votes on them, but with Democrats holding the majority in both chambers, it's all but certain that the Democratic nominees for the roles will be selected when the legislature convenes in January.