Oregon lawmakers will return to Salem next week for a packed legislative session in which they hope to address a projected budget deficit, strengthen the state’s economy and challenge federal immigration enforcement policies.
They will have a maximum of five weeks to debate those priorities and an array of other proposals, including an expected short-term plan to pay for the state’s bridge and road maintenance. By law, the session must end by March 8.
In contrast to several recent legislative sessions, lawmakers are facing an expected budget gap and will have to either find new revenue sources, trim agency spending or dip into the state’s savings accounts to balance the general fund. That means there will be little extra money to fund lawmakers’ pet projects or new initiatives that don’t have significant support from top Democrats…