The pandemic has taken Oregon on a roller coaster ride over the past two weeks.

The legislature has spent much of its time this session contending with issues traditionally outside its attention.

With the announced return of restrictions, the politics over the pandemic are increasingly converging with the session.

The distance from the building did nothing to encourage cooperation or, at the very least, cool tempers.

The Oregon Legislature reached the halfway point of its session this week with the completion of the chamber of origin deadline.

The policy committees are racing against the clock to advance bills before completing the chamber of origin deadline on Tuesday.

Lawmakers spent the vast majority of their time on the floor reading a single, uncontroversial bill updating the name of a state agency.