Gov. Kate Brown appears poised to go another year without vetoing a single bill, a reflection of the policy alignment between the governor and Democrats who control both chambers of the Legislature.
"There are no vetoes that are in the works currently," press secretary Bryan Hockaday said on Tuesday.
With 145 bills still under review by Brown's staff, the governor has just over a week until an Aug. 11 deadline to notify legislative leaders if she plans to use her veto pen, he said. She has already signed 604 bills into law.
Brown's zero veto record is in contrast with that of her predecessor John Kitzhaber, who was dubbed "Dr. No." A prolific vetoer during his first two terms, he vetoed only four bills during his third term.
Earlier this year, Brown said in a meeting with reporters that she might consider vetoing two bills that would create exemptions to the state's land use planning laws: Senate Bill 644 and Senate Bill 432.
Brown did not explain her concerns, and Hockaday said he did not know why the governor objected to the bills. Brown was on vacation last week and out of the office on Tuesday.
After Brown expressed concerns, the Legislature amended, then passed Senate Bill 644, which would make it easier to mine gold, silver and other precious minerals on land zoned for farm use in several eastern Oregon counties. The governor's policy advisors and lawyers are still reviewing it and other unsigned legislation, for both policy concerns and any conflict with Oregon's Constitution. However, the governor said in early July that most of her concerns about the bill were resolved through amendments.
Brown also said in late June that she'd consider vetoing Senate Bill 432, but she was never faced with that decision because the bill died in committee. The bill was sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, and it would have allowed small rural communities with no population growth between 2000 and 2010 to ignore state land use laws in certain circumstances.
It's not unusual for outside groups or other politicians to ask the governor to veto legislation. Jonathan Lockwood, communications director for the Senate Republican caucus, called Monday for Brown to veto House Bill 3464. It would add to Oregon's existing sanctuary state law, by clarifying that courts, schools and other governments in the state should not provide residents' addresses or workplace locations to federal immigration authorities unless legally required to do so.
Oregon already prohibits governments from using their resources to aide federal immigration enforcement, unless the immigrant is suspected of committing a crime other than illegally entering the United States.
Lockwood cited the case of Sergio Jose Martinez, a man with a lengthy criminal record and 20 previous deportations who has gained national attention since July 24, when he was accused of assaulting two women in Northeast Portland. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office had released him from jail nearly eight months earlier. Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese said this week that the jail would have continued to hold Martinez if federal authorities had obtained a criminal warrant.
-- Hillary Borrud
503-294-4034; @hborrud