Map of the Oregon State House during the 81st Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.
1985: Margaret Carter became the first black woman elected to the House
1991: Gail Shibley became the first openly gay person to serve in the House
2013: Tina Kotek became the first openly gay person to serve as Speaker of the House.
2021: Mike Nearman became the first person to be expelled from the Legislature
2022: Janelle Bynum became the first Black person to receive votes for Speaker of the House.[2]
Composition
The Republican Party held the majority in the House for many years until the Democratic Party gained a majority following the 2006 elections.
After losing several seats in the 2010 elections, resulting in a split control between both parties for one legislative term, Democrats regained their majority in the 2012 elections. The Oregon State Senate has been under continuous Democratic control since 2005. On June 10, 2021, Republican Mike Nearman was expelled from the house by a 59–1 vote for intentionally letting armed protesters into the Oregon State Capitol to protest against health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon.[3][4] This was the first time a member of the legislature has been expelled in the state's history.[5]
"The Chief Clerk of the House is the administrative officer elected for a two-year term by the membership of the House of Representatives to be responsible for ensuring that the chamber's business and proceedings run smoothly. The Chief Clerk's Office is therefore responsible for a multiplicity of duties including the processing of the official business of the House, providing the proper setting for consideration and enactment of Oregon laws, maintaining the Rules of the House of Representatives, and advising presiding officers and other members on the proper interpretation of chamber rules and protocols." "Chief Clerk". OregonLegislature.gov.
The Office of the Chief Clerk also comprises a Deputy Chief Clerk, Journal Clerk, Measure History Clerk, Reading Clerk, and a Seargeant-at-Arms.
^Green, Ashbel S.; Lisa Grace Lednicer (January 17, 2006). "State high court strikes term limits". Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Publishing. pp. A1.
^Radnovich, Connor (February 2, 2022). "First day of session: Call for empathy, then a public protest". Register-Guard.
