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State Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield, is feeling a bit harried. House and Senate committees have until Friday to take action on bills, or they will die.

Next week, the bills that are still alive will change dance partners. All House bills will go to the Senate, and all Senate bills will go to the House.

Beyer, who chairs the Senate Business and Transportation Committee, said committee agendas this week are packed as a result.

“We have to get these bills moved, or we’re going to lose them,” he said.

One of the last construction-related bills to get a public hearing is Senate Bill 219. It would allow local officials to come up with their own designs for building wastewater treatment facilities and other public projects rather than getting more expensive state-approved plans.

State Sen. Chuck Thomsen, R-Hood River, introduced the bill at the behest of Paul Koch, the interim city administrator for Cascade Locks.

“My idea is to get small, rural communities out of the business of spending a lot of dollars they don’t have when they could pull ideas right off the shelf,” Koch told committee members.

He cited an example of a small town with 700 people that will have to pay at least $330 per person to go through a state-approved facilities plan for a new water treatment plant.

“For $3 million, that problem can be solved,” Koch said. “As it is, they’ve had to borrow money for a facilities plan. It seems to be a big waste of money and time.

“Let’s take off all of these requirements and let the local governments, working with their engineers, find solutions instead of getting communities stuck where no one can afford the solution.”

No one else spoke in favor of Senate Bill 219. No work session was scheduled, leaving the bill in limbo. Unless action is taken this week, it will remain there until the next legislative session.