Earthquake puts Oregon legislators in cellar.

• Position: On First Reading

Yellow "crime scene" tape sealed the front doors of Oregon's Capitol--but it's difficult to handcuff Mother Nature for malicious mischief resulting in substantial property damage.

The 55-year-old Capitol was rocked by an earthquake, magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale, March 25. As a result, the cracked rotunda was sealed off, and House and Senate members were relegated to crowded hearing rooms in the basement for floor debate.

The older portions of the Capitol, built in 1937 to replace structures destroyed by fire, were closed after the temblor. Newer sections completed in 1976, including legislative offices and hearing rooms, were undamaged and remained open.

House Speaker Larry Campbell vowed to keep the session on track, despite a small fire two days before the earthquake that forced evacuation of the building for a few hours. Campbell said after the quake that the House would meet "even if we find ourselves out in the yard doing roll call."

He shifted the session to a hearing room in the Capitol basement. With lawmakers squeezed into cramped quarters and little room for an audience, lobbyists and the public were able to observe the session only via closed-circuit TV. Senate proceedings were also moved to a hearing room.

Legislators were allowed to go back to their chambers April 2 after workers hung nets to catch falling concrete. Engineers inspecting the building...