Oregon State Senator Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook) made a point of order on the Senate floor that HB 2285 fails to meet readability standards laid out in subsection 5 of Senate Rule 13.02 and Oregon Revised Statute ORS 171.134. This bill, and many others, are unlawful and we will not pass them.

Article IV, Section 21 of the Oregon Constitution requires every legislative act to be “plainly worded, avoiding as far as practicable the use of technical terms”. Subsection 5 of Senate Rule 13.02 requires all measure summaries to comply with ORS 171.134 which requires all measure summaries prepared by the Legislative Assembly to “be written in a manner that results in a score of at least 60 on the Flesch readability test.”

“Government attorneys are required to write bill summaries in clear and simple language so every Oregonian can understand what their elected representatives are doing in the Legislature. This is made clear in Senate Rules, in Oregon’s Constitution, and further clarified in statute. We will not conduct business until a remedy is agreed upon. Transparency and accountability are required for our system to thrive. We have been very clear about this since the start of session and our commitment was further exemplified in today’s point of order,” said Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend).

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The Honorable Gary Wilhelms, former member of the Oregon House of Representatives (1973-1979) and 1979 House Republican Leader issued the following statement:

“As the House Minority Leader in 1979, I remember this bill. I cast one of 31 bipartisan votes in the House to pass SB 543, putting this rule in statute. Transparency prevailed then as it should today. The law is the law, and I’m glad the Senate Republican Caucus is attempting to enforce this statute today.”

The Oregon Senate is standing in recess until there is a legal ruling from the presiding officer.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2023-05-01 16:29:45

Last Update: 2023-05-01 19:52:57