No side issues in session.

Byline: The Register-Guard

It's a lawmaker's duty and instinct to make laws. So it's understandable that any time the Legislature convenes, at least some of the 90 lawmakers want to make laws.

But in a special session, which Gov. John Kitzhaber will convene next month for the single purpose of balancing an out-of-whack state budget, Oregon's lawmakers should rein in their lawmaking hankerings and stick to the purpose for which they're being summoned to Salem. Yet some are suggesting that non-budgetary issues be introduced when the Legislature convenes.

One such issue is a plan to stimulate the state's economy by issuing bonds for highway and bridge projects. The Oregon Transportation Commission already has sold $400 million in bonds to finance more than 130 projects around the state. Gov. John Kitzhaber and some legislators seek to create jobs by issuing even more bonds for highway and bridge projects. While job creation would be a plus, the new bonds also would create new state debt. Yes, the bonds would be repaid out of gas tax proceeds or increased registration fees, not the general fund, but the Legislature's sole purpose for convening next month is to balance the budget, not to get into economic development.

Also bubbling to the surface is the idea of sending to the ballot a revised term limits proposal. The Oregon Supreme Court struck down the state's 1992 term limits law on grounds that it contained unrelated constitutional amendments. Again, legislators will convene to balance the budget, not debate term limits.

While there is no legal or constitutional prohibition against any legislator introducing a bill during a special session, there are three reasons for restraint:

Tradition: In the biennial regular session, a wide range of ideas - about 4,000 in 2001, for instance - are introduced in bill form. But a special session is almost always called to fix a single problem, usually but not always a budget problem. The tradition in Oregon has been to keep the lawmakers focused on the problem at hand, fix it and go home. Before special sessions convene, legislative leaders traditionally instruct their caucuses to keep a lid on extraneous bills because they won't be considered anyway. If they haven't already, Senate President Gene Derfler, House Speaker Mark Simmons and the Democratic leaders in both chambers should let their troops know that this is a budget-only session.

Focus: Balancing Oregon's budget will require painful cuts and perhaps new revenues. Lawmakers should avoid prolonging the session with disruptive and unnecessary distractions from that daunting task.

Volatility: Unlike regular sessions, which are of indefinite - some would say interminable - length, special sessions are historically held to one or two days. That reduces the chance for political implosions, and keeps the lawmakers on point. But because usually just a few lawmakers have actually done the pre-session heavy lifting to reach agreement, most legislators come to Salem for one purpose: to vote as they are told. That can lead to resentments, which in turn can lead to legislative free-lancing. If that happens, a blowup can occur. The solution? Stay on point - in this case, that's the budget.

Once the pre-session agreements between the Democratic governor and the Republican majorities, and between the two parties in the Legislature, are reached, the Legislature should convene, balance the budget and head home. Keep the side issues right there, on the side.