People are shouting. It s bedlam. Indeed, the scene often seems chaotic. Clusters of people engage in intense conversations, the mood alternating between somber and boisterous. Summaries of bills or crucial amendments are hurriedly exchanged and studied.
Lobbyists hold impromptu conferences with one another or shout into cellular phones.
But there s no better or more efficient way to get business done. You ve got all the members in that room. You can talk to any one of them without running around the Capitol. You can also talk to them immediately before they re going to vote, Tucker said. Most of the legislators are more than willing to have this communication outside the chambers because it s an easy way to have multiple appointments, said Ed Patterson, who lobbies for the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.