UTA Playing Defense In Oregon

Drew Hagedorn

A nearly evenly divided Oregon Legislature reconvened February 1st to begin the 2011 legislative session, which will meet for the next several months to consider thousands of policy bills and to grapple with a $3.5 billion budget shortfall.

Although early in the session, the UTA already is defending multiple proposals that would expand the duties and obligations of trustees in a foreclosure sale including one bill that would require mandatory mediation (Senate Bill 198).  In addition, there are several proposals that would significantly expand a trustees’ obligations and/or require a trustee to be an Oregon resident (Senate Bill 492).

UTA’s Oregon Lobbyist, Drew Hagedorn, of Tonkin Torp, based in Portland, will be working with a Senate controlled by Democrats who hold a narrow 16-14 member majority and a House that is deadlocked with 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats.  Oregon’s governor, Democrat John Kitzhaber, made history becoming the state’s first third-term governor. 

None of the bills UTA is tracking in Oregon are slated for a public hearing during the initial week of the session, however Drew and UTA are working with an opposition coalition that includes banks and credit unions to defeat the bills.