Oregon lawmakers got to work in Salem on Monday, with largely ceremonial activities in preparation for the upcoming long session that will focus on transportation funding, affordable housing and other needs across the state.  Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Meagan Flynn swore in more than a dozen new members, and legislators officially elected House and Senate leaders who had already been picked by the parties. In the 30-member Senate, lawmakers reelected Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, as president. In the 2023 session, Wagner presided over the longest GOP-led walkout in Oregon history. He encouraged bipartisanship and asked members to actively reach out to each other. In the House, lawmakers tapped Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, to serve as speaker of the House. This will be Fahey’s first long session as House speaker presiding over the 60-member chamber. She became the House speaker in 2024 after the short session ended.  “There’s a lot of work to be done,” Fahey told the chamber. “We will focus on making Oregon more affordable for families all across the state.” Lawmakers also selected Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, as speaker pro tempore.  The 160-day session officially starts Jan. 21. Fahey welcomed the new members, telling them that she was sworn into office for the first time eight years ago.  The House has 10 new members and will soon have an 11th when Washington and Multnomah County commissioners pick a replacement for former Rep. Lisa Reynolds, a Democratic lawmaker who moved to the Senate. County officials will meet Wednesday for that decision. New Democratic members are: Lisa Fragala of Eugene; Sarah Finger McDonald of Corvallis; Lesly Muñoz of Woodburn; Shannon Isadore of Portland; April Dobson of Clackamas County; and Willy Chotzen of Portland.  The new Republican members are: Alek Skarlatos of Canyonville; Darin Harbick of McKenzie Bridge; Darcey Edwards of Banks; and Christine Drazan, who returned to the House after a two-year break to run for governor in 2022. Celebratory mood Monday’s mood was joyous, with family and friends milling around in advance of the ceremony and lawmakers shaking hands and socializing. Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, called the House to order. He congratulated Fahey and thanked House Republican Leader Rep. Christine Drazan for her leadership and advocacy to ensure all Oregonians’ voices are heard. This session lawmakers will focus on issues that include affordable housing, access to health care and funding for the transportation system, Fahey said. “The way we fund our transportation system is becoming rapidly outdated,” Fahey said. Fahey gave each representative a wooden toy representing a mode of transportation in their district — cars, trains, trucks and boats. She apologized to Salem Rep. Tom Andersen, a Democrat and avid cyclist, for being unable to find a toy bicycle. Republicans made largely symbolic efforts to get Drazan elected as House Speaker instead of Fahey, and to elect Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham as Senate president.  But those moves failed.  After the November elections, Democrats have a three-fifths supermajority in both chambers — 35 representatives in the House once Reynolds’ replacement takes office and 18 in the Senate. That allows the Democrats to pass new taxes or raise taxes without Republican support. Eight senators are new this year, thanks in large part to a 2023 quorum-denying walkout and a voter-approved constitutional amendment that blocked the 10 Republican senators who participated in the walkout from running for reelection. Six of those senators had terms that ended in January, and they were replaced by Republican Sens. Diane Linthicum of Beatty, Mike McLane of Powell Butte, Todd Nash of Enterprise, Noah Robinson of Cave Junction and Bruce Starr of Dundee and Democratic Sen. Anthony Broadman of Bend.  New Sens. Khanh Pham and Lisa Reynolds, both Portland Democrats, respectively replaced retiring Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, and new state Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner.  The Senate began with a rendition of the national anthem by Sen. Mark Meek, a Gladstone Democrat and opera singer.  Despite the turnover, the Senate had familiar faces.  Robinson and Linthicum swapped seats literally and figuratively with their family members who were disqualified from running for reelection. Dennis Linthicum sat next to his wife and will serve as her chief of staff after his failed run for secretary of state. And Art Robinson sat next to his son and former chief of staff, who used to sit on the Senate floor with the elder Robinson every day. The Senate reelected Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and President pro tempore James Manning, D-Eugene, as well as Obadiah “Obie” Rutledge as secretary of the Senate. Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, nominated Rutledge, sharing stories from past legislators and staffers who worked with Rutledge during his 23 years at the Legislature and remembered him for his constant smile, nonpartisan professionalism and integrity. “Colleagues, Obie is as advertised,” Bonham said.  Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland, nominated Manning — the “follically-challenged friend” he enjoys teasing over his baldness. Frederick also praised Manning’s ability to work together with people from across the political spectrum.  “It is an understatement for me to say that I enjoy Senator James Ivory Manning as a person, but I also enjoy the fact that he understands and is devoted to making Oregon, my Oregon, the best in the United States,” Frederick said.  Pleas for bipartisanship Wagner, who as Senate president oversaw the longest partisan walkout in state history in 2023, made entreaties to bipartisanship. He said he started two years ago by promising an open door, but he realized that that wasn’t enough.   “An open door is a passive action that requires someone else to make the first move, in essence, requires you to come to me,” Wagner said. “What I’ve learned is that I have a responsibility to go to you.”  Wagner handed out envelopes including stamps and bingo-style cards with all 30 senators’ names on them, challenging each of his colleagues to have a meaningful conversation with each other — not a passing chat in a hallway but a deep conversation, perhaps over a drink or a meal. He’ll have a “wonderful little gift” for each senator who completes that mission, he said.  “I want to start with approaching our service to Oregon with the idea of having an open mind, respecting that good ideas can come from everyone,” Wagner said. “Given the volume of issues that are thrown at us every day, the easiest thing to do is to fall back on a blanket ideology, to think simply in terms of partisan tribes, the red or the blue T-shirts that we wear during the election.” Republicans opposed the Senate’s rules, particularly the ability for Wagner as Senate president to decide whether to excuse an absence. His rejection of Republican senators’ requests for excused absences during their walkout was a factor in their inability to run for office again.  McLane, an attorney, said he was concerned about due process. For instance, he said, he’ll submit a request to miss session for Passover, and he hopes that it’s excused — but he fears having his excused absence rejected or declared “unexcused” if he also decides to miss work because of a political protest.  “Does membership in this esteemed body mean that we have to give up our rights?” he asked. Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-Portland, said conversations about possible tweaks to Senate rules will continue.  Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter. STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected]. The post Oregon lawmakers sworn into office on Monday  appeared first on Salem Reporter.