Chris Lehman

The largest portion of the Oregon state spending plan hit a major roadblock in the legislature Monday.

Timber industry giant Weyerhaeuser is about to get even bigger. The Federal Way, Washington-based company announced Monday that it's buying Longview Timber in a sale valued at more than $2.6 billion.

Weyerhauser says the purchase will increase its timber holdings in the Pacific Northwest by more than 33 percent. According to Weyerhaeuser and timber industry analysts, it's the third largest timber deal in U.S. history.

A plan that would give state government broad powers to step in and bail out struggling timber counties could advance soon in the Oregon legislature. A House panel could vote as soon as Monday on a bill that could lead to a temporary tax hike in counties that are struggling to maintain basic services.

A companion measure was approved in the full House Friday.

The Democratic-controlled Oregon Senate is scheduled to act Monday on the largest single portion of the state spending plan: Money for K-12 schools. But there's a chance the vote will be delayed. That's because a single Democrat has come out against the proposal, throwing a monkey wrench into the process.

This would be the second time the schools budget is held over to another day. With less than two weeks left before the scheduled adjournment, Democratic state Senator Chris Edwards continues to hold out for more money for schools.

Oregon lawmakers are pressing to clear a backlog of legislation. The House is planning morning and afternoon sessions to try to reach a hoped-for adjournment by the end of the month. But some measures appear to have fallen by the wayside.

A few examples:

Oregon lawmakers could vote as soon as Tuesday on money for K-12 education. But final approval of the spending plan likely won't happen until later this month.

On the table right now is $6.75 billion for Oregon schools. That's a sizable jump over the current spending plan. But some of the state's largest districts say even with that increase, they'd still need to cut teachers or school days.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service wants to completely remove federal protections of gray wolves. Agency leaders announced the proposal Friday. The move would turn over gray wolf management to states. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe says gray wolves have recovered dramatically over the past decade.

"To see a species rebound from a century-long campaign of human persecution to flourish on the landscape again, is something we're all extraordinarily lucky to witness in our lifetimes,” Ashe told reporters in a conference call.

Some education and business groups are pushing Oregon lawmakers for deeper cuts to the state’s public pension system. Talks between Governor John Kitzhaber and four legislative leaders stalled this week without an agreement.

Advocates for additional pension cuts made their case at a press conference on the front steps of the state capitol Thursday. Betty Reynolds serves on the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board. She says the current system is too costly.