Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Legislature is gearing up for an unprecedented one-month special session. Monday Democrats previewed their priorities for the session.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

Democrats hold the majority but they say there's a lot of common ground between what the two parties want to address.

Things like state police coverage, government accountability, and funding more in-home care for seniors.

Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Richard Devlin, calls the mini-session a pivotal moment.

Richard Devlin:  “Fortunately, as we prepare to seize this moment, Republicans have joined Democrats in committing to a productive session that focuses on the common concerns of Oregonians.”

The February gathering will be a first for the legislature:  2008 would normally be an off year.  It will look a lot like a regular session, only much shorter.

Lawmakers have also agreed to a cap on the number of bills they can introduce.