Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber repeated his vow Thursday to veto the bills passed in next week's special session unless all five of the measures reach his desk.
That's one element of a deal reached by the Democrat and four top legislative leaders in Salem.
Kitzhaber told lawmakers during a public hearing that they need to look past politics in making decisions and vote based on how the measures affect people's lives.
The session's agenda pairs some targeted tax hikes with a cut to pension benefits for some retired public employees. The deal also includes a controversial statewide ban on local regulations of genetically modified organisms. Lawmakers will hold a second day of hearings Friday, and head to the Capitol Monday to vote on the measures.
