Oregon Lawmakers Show Signs Of Bipartisan Harmony…For Now

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers in both the Democratic and Republican parties named housing, homelessness and mental health as top priorities as they started the 2023 legislative session on a note of relative bipartisan good will.

Whether it lasts, or dissolves into acrimony, threats and walkouts as occurred in recent sessions, will be tested as the lawmakers grapple with more divisive issues, like gun control, drugs and abortion rights.

Convening in person without COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since the pandemic, legislators reiterated calls to boost housing construction, protect renters from eviction, increase homeless shelter capacity and expand mental health and addiction services.

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