The first Monday in February, in an even-numbered year, means Day One for the "short" session of the Oregon Legislature. It's the odd-numbered year long sessions that produce the budget, and so the overall plan for state government for two years.
But these short (35-day maximum) sessions have grown in importance in recent years, especially since big problems can and do crop up between long sessions. We visit with two legislators, one from each party and each house, starting with Jeff Golden, a Democratic senator from Ashland.
One note here: we talked to Golden before the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that senators who walked out of the last session can be barred from running for reelection. That might have a bearing on this session's attendance.