Oregon Legislators Fear 'Flu' Epidemic

• Oregon legislators are nervous about heading to the Statehouse in the capital (Salem) for the forty day session. Epidemic conditions in Salem are reported to be very bad. The city is under a ban still. • Some legislators suggest postponing the session until conditions improve. Others are willing to risk catching influenza. • One solution proposed at a meeting of Multnomah delegates was for the Legislature to meet as required by law on January 13th and then recess until the epidemic has abated in Salem. This is considered a better solution than asking the Governor, through a proclamation, to postpone the session. Once the Legislature is organized it can recess for as long as needed. Of course, the legislators will only be paid for forty days. • Representative Lewis suggests that the Legislature should meet but that all non-essential people who are not on “important business” (staff of employees, the press) from the hall of Representatives and Senate chambers. Spectators and the general public should be excluded as well. The rooms should be ventilated. With these precautions in place, Representative Lewis believes the session could safely be held as scheduled. • Because of the poor conditions in Salem, the State Federation of Labor decided not to hold its annual conference there but instead is meeting in Portland.Newspaper article2