Courtney, Oregon’s longest-serving lawmaker, retiring

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s longest-serving lawmaker and current Senate President, Peter Courtney, is retiring. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that Courtney, a Democrat in his 38th year as a lawmaker, informed colleagues on Wednesday afternoon that he would not seek re-election this year. His office confirmed his decision. The Democrat, who represents Salem, served in the Oregon House for a decade before joining the Senate. He won election as Senate president in 2003, and maintained control ever since, often winning praise from minority Republicans who see him as an evenhanded leader. The 78-year-old Courtney has long been one of the more captivating and mercurial figures in Oregon politics.