Sen. Kate LieberD-Beaverton, at the Oregon Legislature on Feb. 12, 2024. Lieber will leave her role as Senate majority leader and become co-chair of the Joint Budget Committee. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Sen. Kate Lieber is leaving her job as Senate majority leader to become co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.
Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, said Monday that Lieber, D-Beaverton, will be the next Senate co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Lieber will replace Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, who is leaving the high-profile post to focus on her run for state treasurer.
The committee plays a key role in reviewing and finalizing budget proposals before they go to the full Senate and House of Representatives for a vote. Oregon has a two-year budget cycle, and the Legislature will pass the next two-year budget during the long session in 2025.
The change will take effect on July 15 for both Steiner and Lieber. Senate Democrats have not yet announced a timeline or scheduled a meeting to replace Lieber as Senate majority leader.
“I am excited to take on this new challenge on behalf of the people of Oregon, and this was not an easy decision,” Lieber said in a statement. “I have big shoes to fill. Senator Steiner is an incredible leader and a very effective steward of Oregonians’ tax dollars. Our state is in a stronger financial position, thanks in no small part to her tenure as co-chair of Ways and Means.”
In a statement, Wagner praised Steiner for her role as co-chair for the past six years and said Lieber’s work guiding behavioral health investments during the last session makes her a natural fit.
“She is a thoughtful legislator who works to ensure that all sides and perspectives are considered before a final decision is made,” Wagner said.
Lieber’s profile has been high since she became Senate majority leader in November 2022. During the 2023 legislative session, she regularly spoke on behalf of Democrats during the Republican Party-led walkout in the Senate. She currently serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response. In that role, she helped guide the work of the Legislature House Bill 4002a response to the state’s fentanyl addiction crisis.
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The post-majority leader in the Senate resigns and takes over writing the budget. first appeared on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
