SALEM — Disagreement and stalemate over a single bill has killed upwards of 200 pieces of legislation and left more than $665 million in requested state money on the table as the clock officially struck midnight on Oregon’s 2020 Legislative Session on Sunday night.

Bills representing solutions to a wide swath of problems facing everyday Oregonians, from curtailing the effects of harmful pesticides on farmworkers to bolstering State Police staffing will either have to wait another year or be taken up in special session.

The pile of dead legislation includes many Republican-sponsored proposals such as a bill that would have required schools to notify parents and guardians when their kids have been bullied or harassed and another to freeze property taxes for seniors.

The end of the session leaves hundreds of millions of dollars sitting unused in the state’s coffers while citizens, businesses, cities and counties grapple with issues that require the legislative help. That includes:

• $45 million to help more than 10,000 Oregonians struggling with housing insecurity and homelessness throughout the state (HB 4001), and $5 million to bolster home ownership among communities of color (HB 4003).

• $51 million expected to be allocated to the Oregon Department of Forestry to help stabilize operations and prepare for the wildfire season (HB 5204), as well as another $25 million specifically for projects to lessen fire and smoke impact on Oregon communities (SB 1536).

• $15 million to fund an ask from the Oregon Health Authority to support community-based behavioral health clinics, $13.4 million to address problems with the process for criminal defendants found unfit to stand trial, $600,000 to analyze supply and demand of behavioral health workers and another $300,000 to identify gaps in service and barriers for those seeking mental health treatment (HB 4031).

• $25 million for increased support of county parole offices, as well as another $20 million to help public defenders and $3 million for centers that advocate on behalf of abused children

• $7.5 million for the completion of Oregon’s early earthquake warning system (HB 5204), and $12 million in flood relief for the Umatilla Basin, and $2 million to assess dam safety.

• $53 million in funding for local projects such as drinking water in Salem, a community center in Woodburn, creation of the Willamette Falls Locks commission, riverfront improvements in Eugene, rail line upgrades in Lake County, water district improvements in Lyons, a pedestrian bridge in Sherwood and highway planning in Tigard.

The session’s end also blows up a landmark deal between timber and environmental interests. That deal relied on a bill that would have tightened how the logging industry sprays pesticides by air and required companies and landowners to notify neighbors through a new alert system.

Lawmakers could convene later this year for a special session. A majority in each chamber is required to designate an emergency to convene a special session. The governor can also call to convene one. But Gov. Kate Brown is reluctant to do so unless legislative leaders come up with a “functioning” plan, she said Thursday, March 6.

Some bills important to rural Oregon got the shaft when the session ended.

Wildfire

The problem: The Governor’s Council on Wildfire identified several key areas for investment and new policy to address the state’s response, mitigation of wildfire. The council said it would take a $200 million per year investment to get the state where it needs to be to lessen the impact of catastrophic wildfires on Oregon’s landscape and its citizens.

The solution offered in SB 1536: Changes to building code, reanalyzing community planning, establishing defensible space, creating smoke-adapted communities and reducing debris that fuels fires are just a few of the provisions packed into the omnibus wildfire bill. It included a $25 million allocation for fire mitigation efforts.

How far it went: The bill was passed by a wide margin on the Senate floor and received approval from the joint budget committee for a vote by the House.

Pesticides (chlorpyrifos)

The problem: Farmworkers union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) brought attention to the harmful effects of chemical chlorpyrifos, an ingredient in pesticides that combats a large list of insects but has been found particularly hazardous to young children and pregnant women.

The solution offered in HB 4109: A phase out and eventual ban on all products containing chlorpyrifos.

How far it went: Passed a party-line vote in the House, approved by Senate natural resources committee and awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.

State police staffing

The problem: Oregon State Trooper staffing levels haven’t kept pace with the state’s rising population, leaving some areas with scant law enforcement presence.

The solution offered in Senate Bill 1545: Provides money to increase staffing and directs the state police to maintain staffing levels of at least 15 patrol troopers per 100,000 residents by 2030.

How far it went: Passed out of Senate Judiciary and stuck in Ways and Means.

Schools

The problem: Students miss out on educational progress and nutrition over the summer.

The solution offered in Senate Bill 1520: The bill made a slew of changes to last year’s student success act. It would have provided about 120,000 additional Oregon public school students with free breakfast and allowed public schools to get state dollars for summer programming in time for the summer term, rather than on July 1. That means small and rural schools may be hard pressed to have enough money for summer learning programs that start earlier than the beginning of July, according to the Oregon Department of Education.

How far it went: The bill passed in the Senate in mid-February but languished in the House Committee on Education.

Taxes

The problem: Elderly people on fixed incomes can have trouble affording their property taxes.

The solution offered in SB 1541: Freeze property taxes for seniors — people 68 and older. Sponsored by Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, and Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles. Both Knopp and Helt stayed behind while their Republican colleagues, including Bonham, walked out.

How far it went: The proposal received a public hearing and work session, but was sent to the Legislative Budget Committee, where it stayed and languished now that the session is functionally over.