Regional Public Journalism
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Oregon Legislature. This is a venue for political and policy coverage of the state government in Salem and its impact on the people of Oregon.

Oregon Capitol Renovation Cut Out Of State Construction Plan

Oregon Legislature
This image shows a cross-section of the capitol building showing the base isolators along the lower level.

A plan to upgrade Oregon's Depression-era Capitol buildingwill likely not advance this session.

Lawmakers voted on Friday to keep the building out of the state’s construction budget. Schools will get money for seismic improvements, but most lawmakers said the nearly 80-year-old building will have to wait.

The renovation was supposed to prepare the aging Capitol for an earthquake and make it more accessible to visitors.

It's been a top priority for Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney. He said the exclusion is a devastating loss.

“It is a loss for science,” he said. “It’s a loss for decade-long public process, it’s a loss for the state Legislature, most importantly, it’s a loss for Oregon and her people and her children.”

The construction budget is one of the last things lawmakers need to pass before the session ends.