Agricultural lobbyists have called out Oregon lawmakers for introducing big-impact policy bills in the Legislature's one-month supplemental session that kicked off Feb. 1.

"There are 200-plus pieces of legislation being introduced," said Tammy Dennee, executive director of the Oregon Wheat Growers League.

Under rules governing the session, representatives can each introduce one bill; senators can introduce two bills.

"I don't see the need to bring forward all these bill when agencies are still trying to write rules for 500 new bills that lawmakers passed last session," Dennee said.

"Particularly, the big policy issues belong in a regular session," she said.

Roger Beyer, a former state senator who is a lobbyist for the grass seed and dairy industries, agreed. Lawmakers are setting their sights too high in attempting to address several big policy issues, he said, among them a bill that would remove some exempt well uses.

"This isn't the right time to talk about this issue," he said "It's a huge issue."

Lawmakers also this week began tackling a navigability issue that has been fiercely debated in two of the last four regular sessions.

Under a bill scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 4, lawmakers are seeking to clarify the rights and responsibilities of river users and landowners on the beds and banks of Oregon's rivers.

--Mitch Lies