Dear friends,

I wrote this email from the floor of the Oregon House of Representatives as the clock ticked down on the 2007 Legislative Session this morning.

It will take some time before I am able to reflect very thoughtfully on the session, but there is no doubt that we achieved a number of important accomplishments. (Take a look at the list, and use the dialogue tool to tell me what you think about some of the key legislation passed this year and what we should work on next session.)

The last several days in Salem have alternated between flurries of activity and long delays.

A staffer commented that the end of the session is like riding Amtrak: we chug along briskly for an hour and then mysteriously come to a full stop. Committees are hastily convened to adopt last-minute amendments and legislative leadership haggles over deals that will allow us to adjourn by our self-imposed June 29 deadline.

Despite the fits and starts, we have achieved some significant accomplishments in these final days. On Monday, the House narrowly passed a bill that will provide up to six weeks of paid family leave for workers who leave to care for a sick family member or new baby. Wednesday, we passed a bill that provides independent funding for the State Ethics Commission and tightens ethics rules for all public officials.

However, all the good bills we pass in the House - especially in the final hours of the session - don't necessarily become law. Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass the paid family leave bill, meaning that this important public policy remains for another day. Passing it in both chambers will be a priority for me during the expected 2008 special session.

Among the final tasks for the Legislature is passing budget bills that balance the budget based on the most updated revenue forecast. Along with the additional funds those bills included for post-secondary education and human services, I was grateful to see the inclusion of two small items that I had worked for: