Oregon Governance Atlas

Oregon legislative history

Legislative history · 1841–2026

Oregon’s legislative sessions, from 1841 to today

Explore the decisions made in each session, the sources that document them, and the consequences that followed.

New synthesis · 2007–2026

Get up to speed on Oregon’s Legislature today

A five-minute primer, five historical periods, ten operating dimensions, and the institutional questions Oregon still has to answer.

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164

governance events

106

regular sessions

52

special sessions

1,231

session citations

164 sessions in view

Select a session to inspect

18411841 constitutional-government meetingsFailed 1841 civil-government organization1843First pre-provisional legislative committeeINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected1843Second pre-provisional legislative committee1843 Organic Act and provisional governing framework1844Third pre-provisional legislative committeeBlack exclusion and the so-called Lash Law1845Fourth pre-provisional legislative committee1845 Organic Act revision18451845 SPECIAL SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18451845 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18461846 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18471847 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18481848-1849 REGULAR SESSIONQuorum and membership disruption during the California gold rush18491849 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18501850 TERRITORIAL SPECIAL SESSIONSelection of the December schedule for regular territorial sessions18501850 REGULAR SESSIONTerritorial capital relocation to Salem1851Minority Oregon City sitting during the capital disputeMinority Oregon City sitting18511851 REGULAR SESSIONSalem sitting amid the territorial capital dispute18521852 TERRITORIAL SPECIAL SESSIONEarly adjournment after rejecting the governor's claim of extraordinary business18521852 REGULAR SESSIONTransfer of divorce grants from legislature to courts18531853 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18541854 REGULAR SESSIONCapital relocation to Corvallis18551855 REGULAR SESSIONReturn of territorial capital to Salem18561856 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18571857 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18581858 REGULAR SESSIONSelection of U.S. senators and inauguration of state officers before admission18581858 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18591859 SPECIAL SESSIONOrganization of Oregon's state government18601860 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18601860 SPECIAL SESSIONIDENTITY BLOCKED / INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18621862 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18641864 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18651865 SPECIAL SESSIONRatification of the Thirteenth Amendment18661866 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18681868 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18701870 REGULAR SESSIONRejection of the Fifteenth Amendment18721872 REGULAR SESSIONAuthorization of written and party election tickets18741874 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18761876 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18781878 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18801880 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18821882 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18851885 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18851885 SPECIAL SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18871887 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18891889 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18911891 REGULAR SESSIONAdoption of a secret-ballot system18931893 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18951895 REGULAR SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18971897 REGULAR SESSIONFailure of the House to organize18981898 SPECIAL SESSIONINSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — no unique consequential outcome selected18991899 REGULAR SESSIONClatsop County beaches declared a public highway19011901 REGULAR SESSIONReferral of initiative and referendum amendment (HJR 1)19031903 REGULAR SESSIONInitiative-and-referendum implementation and the first voters' pamphlet19031903 SPECIAL SESSIONCorrection of the 1903 tax-law package19051905 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Oregon Library Commission19071907 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Oregon Railroad Commission19091909 REGULAR SESSIONThe 1909 Water Code19091909 SPECIAL SESSIONRepair of the state-institutions appropriation measure19111911 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of centralized state forestry administration19131913 REGULAR SESSIONWorkmen's Compensation Act19151915 REGULAR SESSIONAdministrative implementation of statewide prohibition19171917 REGULAR SESSIONState highway system and Highway Commission authority19191919 REGULAR SESSIONFirst state gasoline tax19201920 SPECIAL SESSIONOregon ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment19211921 REGULAR SESSIONDesignation and state control of the Roosevelt Coast Military Highway19211921 SPECIAL SESSIONCorrection of the state budget-law framework19231923 REGULAR SESSIONAlien Land Law19251925 REGULAR SESSIONState authority to acquire and manage parks and waysides19271927 REGULAR SESSIONRevision of water-user and water-administration statutes19291929 REGULAR SESSIONProfessionalization of statewide park administration19311931 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Oregon State Police19331933 1ST SPECIAL SESSIONEmergency property-tax relief19331933 REGULAR SESSIONState Reconstruction Advisory Board and Depression recovery coordination19331933 2ND SPECIAL SESSIONKnox Act and creation of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission19351935 REGULAR SESSIONInstitutionalization of the Oregon State Bar19351935 SPECIAL SESSIONCreation of Oregon unemployment insurance19371937 REGULAR SESSIONOperational revision of unemployment insurance19391939 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the State Public Welfare Commission19411941 REGULAR SESSIONState-forest acquisition and 'greatest permanent value' management framework19431943 REGULAR SESSIONWartime administrative and post-war readjustment framework19451945 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Public Employees Retirement System19471947 REGULAR SESSIONCounty subdivision-regulation authority19491949 REGULAR SESSIONFair Employment Practices Act19511951 REGULAR SESSIONRepeal of Oregon's statutory ban on interracial marriage19531953 REGULAR SESSIONPublic Accommodations Act19551955 REGULAR SESSIONWater Resources Act and statewide water-policy framework19571957 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Fair Housing Act19571957 SPECIAL SESSIONEmergency tax and surplus disposition package19591959 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act19611961 REGULAR SESSIONLegislative apportionment plan and judicial backstop19631963 REGULAR SESSIONState Public Defender Committee19631963 SPECIAL SESSIONBudget retrenchment after rejection of the 1963 tax program19651965 REGULAR SESSIONWorkers' compensation system overhaul19651965 SPECIAL SESSIONLegislative redistricting19671967 REGULAR SESSIONBeach Bill public-access framework19671967 SPECIAL SESSIONRevenue-shortfall budget reductions19691969 REGULAR SESSIONSenate Bill 10 statewide planning mandate19711971 REGULAR SESSIONBottle Bill19711971 SPECIAL SESSIONDeficit-closing tax and budget package19731973 REGULAR SESSIONSenate Bill 100 statewide land-use system19741974 SPECIAL SESSIONEmergency energy and consumer-protection correction package19751975 REGULAR SESSIONLegislative Counsel Information System19751975 SPECIAL SESSIONConstitutional repair of criminal-record legislation19771977 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Workers' Compensation Department19781978 SPECIAL SESSIONLegislative property-tax relief alternative19791979 REGULAR SESSIONRevenue-forecast surplus 'kicker' statute19801980 SPECIAL SESSIONRecession shortfall budget package19811981 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Law Commission19811981 FIRST SPECIAL SESSIONCourt reorganization and state-court financing package19821982 SECOND SPECIAL SESSIONIncome-tax surcharge and spending reductions19821982 THIRD SPECIAL SESSIONAdditional reductions and management-salary action19821982 FOURTH SPECIAL SESSIONSAIF transfer and final 1982 shortfall package19831983 REGULAR SESSIONTraffic-offense and vehicle-code recodification19831983 SPECIAL SESSIONProperty-tax relief package19841984 SPECIAL SESSIONCorporate unitary-tax revision19851985 REGULAR SESSIONPublic Utility Commission restructuring19871987 REGULAR SESSIONCreation of the Department of Corrections19891989 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Health Plan statutory foundation19901990 SPECIAL SESSIONWorkers' compensation reform package19911991 REGULAR SESSIONState school-distribution formula after Measure 519921992 SPECIAL SESSIONFailure of the governor's tax package19931993 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Health Plan funding and implementation19951995 REGULAR SESSIONCommunity corrections and Measure 11 implementation19951995 FIRST SPECIAL SESSIONSouth/North light-rail financing statute19961996 SECOND SPECIAL SESSIONCorrections and community-corrections implementation package19971997 REGULAR SESSIONMeasure 50 property-tax replacement19991999 REGULAR SESSIONPublic Charter School Act20012001 REGULAR SESSIONOregon Health Plan restructuring20022002 FIRST SPECIAL SESSIONFirst recession budget-rebalance attempt and veto conflict20022002 SECOND SPECIAL SESSIONSecond budget-rebalance package and reserve-fund strategy20022002 THIRD SPECIAL SESSIONThird budget-rebalance package20022002 FOURTH SPECIAL SESSIONCorrection of school and community-college payment timing20022002 FIFTH SPECIAL SESSIONTobacco-settlement securitization and referral-dependent budget plan20032003 REGULAR SESSIONPERS Reform and Stabilization package20052005 REGULAR SESSIONMental-health and chemical-dependency parity20062006 SPECIAL SESSIONPayday-loan rate, fee, term, and renewal limits20072007 REGULAR SESSIONSexual-orientation nondiscrimination and domestic-partnership package20082008 SPECIAL SESSIONProof-of-legal-presence driver-license regime20092009 REGULAR SESSIONHealthy Kids and Health System Fund20102010 Special SessionAnnual legislative sessions referral20112011 Regular SessionCoordinated-care health delivery framework20122012 Regular SessionLegislative approval and implementation of coordinated care organizations20122012 1st Special SessionStrategic-investment tax-certainty contracts20132013 Regular SessionJustice Reinvestment framework20132013 1st Special SessionPERS-tax-preemption 'Grand Bargain' package20142014 Regular SessionCover Oregon contingency and federal-enrollment transition authority20152015 Regular SessionAutomatic voter registration ('Oregon Motor Voter')20162016 Regular SessionRegional tiered minimum wage20172017 Regular SessionTransportation investment and Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund20182018 Regular SessionPrescription Drug Price Transparency Program20182018 1st Special SessionPass-through income tax revision20192019 Regular SessionStudent Success Act and Corporate Activity Tax20202020 Regular SessionQuorum breakdown and failure of the greenhouse-gas package20202020 1st Special SessionPolice accountability package20202020 2nd Special SessionPandemic and recession budget rebalance20202020 3rd Special SessionLandlord Compensation Fund and extended eviction protections20212021 Regular Session100-percent clean-electricity framework20212021 1st Special SessionCongressional and legislative redistricting20212021 2nd Special SessionRental-assistance safe harbor and emergency relief package20222022 Regular SessionAgricultural-worker overtime20232023 Regular SessionOregon Housing Needs Analysis and state-local production framework20242024 Regular SessionMeasure 110 rollback and behavioral-health deflection framework20242024 1st Special SessionEmergency wildfire suppression appropriation20252025 Regular SessionWildfire financing and governance package20252025 1st Special SessionTransportation revenue, accountability, and road-usage-charge package20262026 Regular SessionODOT operations stabilization through budget cuts and fund redirection