The Republican House caucus released an agenda for the 2009 session; priorities included improving economic growth, bringing accountability to state government, improving the state's education system, extending health care and extending in-home care for seniors, enhancing public safety, and managing natural resources.

One critical factor in the legislature's work is the fact that Democrats hold three fifths of the seats in each chamber, theoretically providing the three-fifths supermajority support required by the Oregon Constitution for bills to increase revenue.

[4] In the effort to balance the budget, bills were passed to raise income taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals and households.

This is expected to raise US$733 million in revenue over the next two years, which is meant to lessen the need to make spending cuts to state services and programs.

[5] Opponents led an effort to force a statewide referendum on these increases,[5] which appeared as Measures 66 and 67 on the January 26, 2010 special election ballot.

The 2009 Legislature passed two major new laws that had been unsuccessfully attempted for several prior years: The Jobs & Transportation Act (the largest jobs bill in Oregon history) was passed with funding for the Sunrise Highway Corridor in Clackamas County, Newberg-Dundee Bypass, Woodburn/I-5 Interchange, Highway 62 extension in Medford, Beltline/I-5 Interchange in Eugene, and major new permanent annual road funding for all Oregon cities and counties.

[7] In recent years, the Legislative Assembly has considered switching from biennial to annual regular sessions, as recommended by the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature.

[7] Among other tasks, the legislature plans to refer a ballot measure to voters to amend the state constitution to permanently change to annual sessions.

[7] Electoral fusion was made possible in Oregon with Senate Bill 326, allowing candidates to list a maximum of three party endorsements on their ballot line.

[14] The 2005 law was a response to Ralph Nader's 2004 US presidential candidacy as an independent, raising concerns among Democrats that similar candidates would hurt their chances of being elected.

Education: Expanded Head Start, Early Head Start, and Relief Nurseries, referred an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to allow state matching funds for K-12 school capital construction (passed by voters as Measure 68 in 2010), and passed record investments in community college facilities on all 17 Oregon campuses.

Public Safety: Restored 24/7 Oregon State Police highway coverage after 15 years of drastic cuts, cracked down on methamphetamine-related metal theft, required DUII offenders to install ignition interlock devices to prevent further drunk driving, protected child abuse funding, and began to shift greater resources to crime prevention.

Environment: Helped businesses and homes become energy efficient, enacted new low carbon fuel standards to improve air quality, and increased protections for Oregon fish and sportfishermen by cracking down on California sea lions.

House Speaker Hunt said the legislature will focus on jobs, and said kicker reform is "certainly not on the list of definitive things we plan to accomplish.

Democrat Ben Westlund, a former Republican, left that seat to seek the statewide Oregon State Treasurer office in the same elections.

[21] The 36-seat threshold is a significant one, as it gives Democrats a three-fifths supermajority in the chamber and allows them to pass bills which will raise taxes or fees without Republican support.

[21] Speaker: Dave Hunt (D–40 Gladstone) Speaker Pro Tem: Arnie Roblan (D–9 Coos Bay) Majority Leader: Mary Nolan (D–36 Portland) Co-Chair of Ways and Means: Peter Buckley (D–5 Ashland) Majority Whip: Tina Kotek (D–44 Portland) Deputy Majority Whip: Tobias Read (D–27 Washington County) Assistant Majority Leader (Policy): Sara Gelser (D–16 Corvallis) Assistant Majority Leader (Political): Phil Barnhart (D–11 Eugene) Republican Minority Leader: Bruce Hanna (R–7 Roseburg) Deputy Republican Leader: Kevin Cameron (R–19 Salem) Republican Whip: Ron Maurer (R–3 Grants Pass) Deputy Republican Whip: TBD Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Communities Business and Labor Committee Business and Labor Subcommitteeon Work Force Development Consumer Protection Committee Education Committee Environment and Water Committee