Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature
# Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature

The Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature (PCOL) was a group of 30 citizens in the U.S. state of Oregon charged with developing recommendations on how to improve the Oregon Legislative Assembly. The 2005 session of the legislature established the commission with Senate Bill 1084. The bill, which declared an emergency, took effect upon its passage, when it was signed by Governor Ted Kulongoski on July 29, 2005.

The PCOL submitted its final report for the consideration of the 74th legislature on November 13, 2006. The 74th legislature implemented several of the recommendations.

## Reception, impact and criticism

The PCOL's recommendation to establish an "open" primary (also known as a nonpartisan blanket primary) was taken up by two former Secretaries of State, Phil Keisling and Norma Paulus, in the form of a ballot initiative. The effort narrowly missed qualifying for the 2006 general elections ballot, but a slightly modified version qualified for the 2008 general election ballot as ballot measure 65.

The Bend Bulletin criticized the PCOL's recommendations regarding the initiative and referendum system in an editorial, noting that the system was outside the PCOL's purview, and taking issue with the selective nature of the recommendations.

Recommendations to renovate the Oregon State Capitol were acted upon by the 2007 session of the legislature, and were noted in advertisements in the 2008 U.S. Senate race.

## Recommendations

The commission's report included recommendations on the following topics:

Fundamental reform:

* Open Primary
* Nonpartisan Legislature
* Nonpartisan State Controller
* Redistricting Commission
* Funding Government Standards and Practices Commission
* Initiative Reform
* Campaign Finance
* Legislator Compensation

Institutional reform:

* Annual Sessions and Session Structure
* Partisanship
* Staffing Legislative Offices
* Hiring Family Members
* Alcohol Consumption
* Public Access

Reforming legislative operations:

* Committees
* Bills and Amendments
* Program Evaluation
* Budget Notes

Improving facilities and technology:

* Capitol Renovation and Comprehensive Facilities Plan
* Wireless Access
* Use of Technology
* Oregon Channel
* Audio and Video Hardware
* Security

## Commission members

| Commission member | Title/organization | Committee assignment |
| - | - | - |
| Dave Barrows | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Deborah Boone | State representative | The Public Institution Committee |
| Daniel Bernstine | President, Portland State University | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Frank Brawner | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Bridget Burns | | Facilities Committee |
| Jane Cease | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Kim Skerritt Duncan | Tri-Met | Process Committee |
| David Frohnmayer | President, University of Oregon | Process Committee |
| Mark Garber | The Gresham Outlook | Facilities Committee |
| Avel Gordly | State senator | Process Committee |
| Hasso Hering | Albany Democrat-Herald | Public Institution Committee |
| Jim Hill | former Treasurer of Oregon | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Barbara Karmel | | Process Committee |
| Wayne Krieger | State representative | Facilities Committee |
| Ginny Lang | | Chair, Process Committee |
| John Lattimer | | Chair, Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Susan M. Leeson | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Hans A. Linde | | Process Committee |
| Greg Merten | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Frank Morse | State senator | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Delores Pigsley | | Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Laura Pryor | Judge, Gilliam County Court | Public Institution Committee |
| Raul Ramirez | Sheriff, Marion County | Facilities Committee |
| Gretchen Schuette | President, Chemeketa Community College | Public Institution Committee |
| Connie Seeley | Office of the Senate President | Chair, Management and Human Resources Committee |
| Kerry Tymchuk | | Chair, Public Institution Committee |
| Gary Wilhelms | | Facilities Committee |
| Carl Wilson | | Chair, Facilities Committee |
| Junki Yoshida | | Public Institution Committee |
