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Committee approves four new judgeships despite objections from rural districts
Summary
Senate Bill 95, which adds four circuit court judgeships effective Jan. 1, 2026, was advanced by the subcommittee after debate; a senator objected to a late amendment that removed judges for two outlying districts.
The Capital Construction Subcommittee on June 18 recommended Senate Bill 95 be reported out, adding four statutory circuit court judgeships that would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, despite objections from members representing rural judicial districts.
Senate Bill 95 would add two judgeships to the Second Judicial District (Lane County), one judgeship to the Fifth Judicial District (Clackamas County) and one judgeship to the Sixteenth Judicial District (Douglas County). The measure was presented with a dash 2 amendment; the subcommittee recommended the bill be amended by dash 2 and reported out due pass as amended. The measure carries an estimated cost of $5,400,000 general fund and 20 positions, and includes a $166,256 general fund appropriation tied to potential changes in judicial compensation if another bill (HB 2712) becomes law.
"Those counties need another judge just as much as the counties in the Willamette Valley," Senator McLean said, objecting to the dash 2 amendment that removed previously expected judgeships for Crook and Jefferson counties and for Umatilla and Morrow counties. McLean said she voted no in subcommittee and would vote no if the dash 2 amendment remained in the bill.
Senator Manning and other presenters summarized the allocation of judgeships and the fiscal impact. The committee proceeded to a voice vote; the chair announced the motion passed and closed the work session on Senate Bill 95.
Formal action recorded in the transcript shows the subcommittee recommendation to report the bill out due pass as amended by dash 2. The transcript records McLean’s objections on the record but does not show a recorded roll call tally in the excerpt.
