An unpleasant truth about the Oregon Legislature is that legislators can be less than open about who is behind bills.

When legislators gathered in Salem last week for committee hearings and a quick special session, they continued their longstanding practice of introducing a series of committee bills. When committees introduce “committee” bills, it is not possible for a member of the public to easily figure out who is behind the bill. Regular bills have a list of sponsors and co-sponsors. Committee bills don’t. It’s representation without accountability.

We wouldn’t mind the practice so much if the bills were just technical fixes. But some are important policy issues. The proposed bill that would require preparation for statewide collective bargaining for teachers is a committee bill. The proposed bill that would change what utilities can bill customers for is a committee bill. So is the proposed bill that would require landlords to provide residential tenants with indoor cooling.

There are many reasons why legislators like committee bills. Some are truly the work of a committee. Some are introduced on behalf of constituents and the legislator who introduces it may not necessarily support it. Some are placeholders. In any case, legislators could still clearly identify who supports introducing the bill.

Oregonians can’t hold legislators accountable for what they do if they don’t know what they do. Again for the 2025 session, legislators seem pleased to keep it that way with committee bills.