Opinion ID: 2797734
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The legislature conferred original jurisdiction on this court to determine whether SB 822 and SB 861 are invalid, unconstitutional, or a breach of the contracts between PERS members and their employers. See SB 822, § 19(1) (conferring original jurisdiction on this court); SB 861, § 11(1) (same). In furtherance of that jurisdiction, we appointed Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Stephen K. Bushong to act as special master. See SB 822, § 19(6) (authorizing the court to appoint a special master); SB 861, § 11(6) (same). As special master, Judge Bushong presided over an evidentiary hearing and prepared a thorough report containing his recommended findings of fact. See Special Master’s Preliminary Report and Recommended Findings of Fact (Apr 29, 2014) (Special Master’s Report). The parties have not materially challenged the special master’s recommended findings, which we have adopted unless otherwise noted.2 1 Because we hold that the COLA amendments may not be applied retrospectively, we also void, for the reasons set out below, 357 Or at 232-33, the provisions of SB 861 allowing for certain supplemental payments to retirees that were intended to mitigate the impact of that retrospective application. 2 We previously considered a motion to disqualify the sitting judges of the Oregon Supreme Court from hearing this case and a motion to disqualify Judge Bushong from acting as special master on the ground that those individuals are PERS members and therefore have an interest in the outcome of this case. Moro v. State of Oregon, 354 Or 657, 661-62, 320 P3d 539 (2014). We denied those motions and held that the “rule of necessity” precluded disqualification. Id. at 672. “[U]nder the ‘rule of necessity,’ if the only judges authorized by law to decide a case all have an interest in the outcome of the case, that interest is not disqualifying Cite as 357 Or 167 (2015) 175