Government of Oregon

Government of the U.S. state of Oregon

This article is about the government of Oregon. For the state of Oregon, see Oregon.

Government of Oregon

Great Seal of the State of Oregon

Polity type| Sub-national administrative division (federated state)
Part of| United States of America
Constitution| Constitution of Oregon
Legislative branch
Name| Legislature
Type| Bicameral
Meeting place| Oregon State Capitol
Upper house
Name| Senate
Presiding officer| Rob Wagner, President
Lower house
Name| House of Representatives
Presiding officer| Julie Fahey, Speaker
Executive branch
Head of state and government
Title| Governor
Currently| Tina Kotek
Appointer| Election
Cabinet
Leader| Governor
Headquarters| Oregon State Capitol
Judicial branch
Name| Judiciary of Oregon
Courts| Courts of Oregon
Supreme Court of Oregon
Chief judge| Martha Lee Walters
Seat| Supreme Court Building, Salem
Oregon Capitol building

The government of the U.S. state of Oregon, as prescribed by the Oregon Constitution, is composed of three government branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. These branches operate in a manner similar to that of the federal government of the United States.[1]

Oregon also has a system of commissions, wherein private citizens are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate; these commissions have the authority to hire and fire the heads of the agencies they govern, and must confirm changes to the permanent rules governing those agencies.[2]

## Constitution

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Main article: Oregon Constitution

In 1857, leaders of the Oregon Territory gathered at the Oregon Constitutional Convention and drafted a constitution for Oregon.[3] On November 9, 1857, Oregon voters approved its first constitution that then became effective upon statehood on February 14, 1859.[3] The constitution was unchanged for the remainder of the 19th century, but has been amended numerous times since 1902. The changes include the introduction of a direct legislation system, which enabled numerous popular decisions via initiative, both to the constitution and to the Oregon Revised Statutes.

The current document contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights.[4] Oregon's bill of rights contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of Rights and the main text of the United States Constitution. The remainder of the Oregon Constitution outlines the divisions of power within the state government, times of elections, designating the state capitol, the state boundaries. The original implementation provisions included a vote excluding African-Americans from the state.[4]

## Executive branch

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* Elected Executive Officers of Oregon
* Governor Tina Kotek (D)

* Secretary of State Tobias Read (D)

* Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner (D)

* Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D)

* Commissioner of Labor Christina Stephenson (D)

* Governor of Oregon
* Oregon Secretary of State
* Archives Division[5]
* Oregon Sustainability Board (The Secretary of State is the board chair)
* Oregon State Treasurer
* Oregon Attorney General
* Oregon Department of Justice
* Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries
* Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction (1872–2012)
* Oregon Department of State Lands (governed by the State Land Board, which is composed of the Governor, Secretary of State, and Treasurer

## Legislative branch

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* Oregon Legislative Assembly
* Oregon House of Representatives
* Oregon State Senate

## Judicial branch

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The Oregon Supreme Court Building

Main article: Oregon Judicial Department

Oregon's state level judicial branch of government consists of the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) which operates four state run court systems. Two of those courts are primarily trial level courts, while the other two are primarily courts of appeal. The chief executive of the OJD is the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.[6] At the local level are some justice courts, municipal courts, and county courts.[7]

The Oregon Supreme Court is located in the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem. It consists of seven judges that are elected to six-year terms in statewide popular elections, with vacancies filled by appointment by the Governor of Oregon. As the highest court in the state, it is the final authority on state law and its decisions can only be overturned by the United States Supreme Court. The court is headed by the Chief Justice, who is elected to a six-year term by fellow justices.[6]

Oregon's Court of Appeals is an intermediate court of appeals hearing appeals from decisions of both civil and criminal cases decided at the trial court level. This court has ten judges that in most cases sit in three judge panels to determine the outcome of appeals. The judges are also elected statewide to six-year terms, with vacancies filed by appointment of the governor. The Oregon Supreme Court's Chief Justice appoints one of the ten judges to serve as Chief Judge, who acts as the head of the Court of Appeals. Appeals from decisions of this court go to the Oregon Supreme Court.[6]

The OJD operates the Oregon Circuit Courts, which are 27 trial level court districts across the state that receive both civil and criminal court cases. As of January 2007, the courts had 173 judges spread over the 27 districts that cover the state's 36 circuit courts. The majority of appeals from the Circuit Courts go to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Some limited cases go directly to the Oregon Supreme Court if appealed from at the trial court level.[6]

Cases involving issues of taxation are handled primarily through the Oregon Tax Court. This court has two divisions, with the Magistrate Division being an informal process appearing more like alternative dispute resolution. The Regular Division is a formal court headed by a single Tax Court judge elected to six-year terms on a statewide basis. Appeals from the Magistrate Division go to the Regular Division, and appeals from decisions of this court go directly to the Oregon Supreme Court.[6]

## State agencies

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See also: List of Oregon State Government Agencies

* Oregon Office of Degree Authorization
* Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
* Oregon State Library
* Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission
* Oregon Lottery
* Oregon Parks and Recreation
* State Fair and Exposition Center
* Oregon State Police
* Oregon Department of Transportation
* Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
* Oregon Office of University Coordination

### Former state agencies

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* Oregon State Board of Higher Education (1929–2015)
* Oregon University System (1932–2015)
* Oregon Chief Education Office (2014–2019)

## See also

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* Government of Portland, Oregon

## References

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1. ^ "Constitution of Oregon: Article III". Archived from the original on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
2. ^ Russell Sadler (February 5, 2005). "A Recent History of Oregon's Citizen Boards and Commissions". West by Northwest. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
3. ^ a b Oregon Blue Book: Constitution of Oregon. Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine Oregon Secretary of State, accessed October 19, 2007.
4. ^ a b Constitution of Oregon: 2005 Edition. Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine Oregon Legislature, accessed October 19, 2007.
5. ^ "Oregon Secretary of State Archives Division". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
6. ^ a b c d e An Introduction to the Courts of Oregon. Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved on August 25, 2007.
7. ^ Other Courts. Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved on February 18, 2009.

## External links

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* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Elected officials of Oregon

U.S. senators|

* Ron Wyden (D)
* Jeff Merkley (D)

U.S. representatives|

* Suzanne Bonamici, District 1, (D)
* Cliff Bentz, District 2, (R)
* Maxine Dexter, District 3, (D)
* Val Hoyle, District 4, (D)
* Janelle Bynum, District 5, (D)
* Andrea Salinas, District 6 (D)

State government|

* Tina Kotek, Governor, (D)
* Tobias Read, Secretary of State, (D)
* Dan Rayfield, Attorney General, (D)
* Elizabeth Steiner, Treasurer, (D)
* Christina Stephenson, Labor Commissioner, (D)

Senate|

* Rob Wagner, President
* James Manning Jr., President pro Tempore
* Kayse Jama, Majority Leader
* Daniel Bonham, Minority Leader

Assembly|

* Julie Fahey, Speaker
* David Gomberg, Speaker pro tempore
* Ben Bowman, Majority Leader
* Christine Drazan, Minority Leader

Supreme Court
(appointed, retained by election)|

* Meagan Flynn, Chief Justice
* Rebecca Duncan
* Christopher L. Garrett
* Roger DeHoog
* Stephen Bushong
* Bronson James
* Aruna Masih

Local mayors|

* Keith Wilson, Portland, (D)
* Kaarin Knudson, Eugene, (D)
* Julie Hoy, Salem, (D)
* Travis Stovall, Gresham, (R)
* Beach Pace, Hillsboro, (D)
* Lacey Beaty, Beaverton, (D)

* v
* t
* e

State of Oregon

Salem (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Outline
* Climate
* Geography
* fauna
* beaches
* lakes
* rivers
* Government
* constitution
* delegations
* ballot measures
* elections
* Governor
* list
* History
* bibliography
* Oregon Trail
* timeline
* Parks
* People
* Pioneers
* State Fair
* Symbols

Society|

* Abortion
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Gun laws
* LGBTQ rights
* Gambling
* Politics

Regions|

| Western|

* French Prairie
* Northwest Oregon
* Oregon Coast
* Portland Metro
* Tualatin Valley
* Willamette Valley

|

Eastern|

* Harney Basin
* High Desert
* Palouse
* Treasure Valley
* Central Oregon

Southern|

* Rogue Valley

Shared|

* The Cascades
* Columbia Gorge
* Columbia River
* Columbia Plateau
* Great Basin
* Mount Hood Corridor
* Trout Creek Mountains

Metro areas|

* Albany–Corvallis
* Bend–Prineville
* Eugene–Springfield
* Medford–Ashland
* Portland-Vancouver
* Salem–Keizer

Largest cities|

* Portland
* Salem
* Eugene
* Gresham
* Hillsboro
* Beaverton
* Bend
* Medford
* Springfield
* Corvallis
* Albany
* Tigard
* Lake Oswego
* Keizer
* Grants Pass
* Oregon City
* McMinnville
* Redmond
* Tualatin
* West Linn
* Woodburn
* Forest Grove
* Newberg
* Wilsonville
* Roseburg
* Klamath Falls
* Ashland
* Milwaukie
* Sherwood
* Happy Valley
* Central Point
* Canby
* Hermiston
* Pendleton

Counties|

* Baker
* Benton
* Clackamas
* Clatsop
* Columbia
* Coos
* Crook
* Curry
* Deschutes
* Douglas
* Gilliam
* Grant
* Harney
* Hood River
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Josephine
* Klamath
* Lake
* Lane
* Lincoln
* Linn
* Malheur
* Marion
* Morrow
* Multnomah
* Polk
* Sherman
* Tillamook
* Umatilla
* Union
* Wallowa
* Wasco
* Washington
* Wheeler
* Yamhill

* Oregon portal
* Pacific Northwest portal

* v
* t
* e

State governments of the United States

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Federal district|

Washington, D.C.

Territories|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands

* v
* t
* e

Topics in Oregon legislation

Crime and sentencing|

* Capital punishment
* Measure 11 (1994) (mandatory minimum sentencing)
* Measure 40 (1996) etc. (victims' rights)
* Measure 110 (2020) (drug decriminalization)

Elections and voting|

* Direct Legislation League
* Vote-by-mail
* Term limits
* List of Oregon ballot measures

Gay rights|

* Same-sex marriage
* Oregon Citizens Alliance
* Measure 9 (1992) (homosexuality and education)

Environment|

* Bottle bill
* Nuclear power
* Wind power
* Solar power
* Coal power

Land use|

* O&C Lands
* Beach Bill (1967)
* Land Conservation and Development Act (1973)
* Measure 37 (2004) & 49 (2008)

Health care|

* Death with Dignity Act (1994 Measure 16)
* Oregon Health Plan

Minimum wage|

Measures 36 (1996), 25 (2002)

Taxation|

* Tax revolt
* Measure 5 (landmark tax law)
* Measures 47 and 50 (adjusted Measure 5)
* Kicker tax rebate
* Measure 97 (2016)

Miscellaneous|

* Compulsory Education Act
* Adoption rights
* Alcoholic beverages in Oregon
* Bicycle Bill
* Cannabis in Oregon
* Drug policy of Oregon

Influential people|

* Loren Parks
* Bill Sizemore

Background, further reading|

* Oregon legislature
* Direct democracy in Oregon
* Oregon government
* Oregon history
* Oregon ballot measures

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