SALEM — The House and Senate chambers were full of handshakes, smiles and pleasantries Monday as Oregon lawmakers returned to the Capitol for a legislative session expected to be dominated by the dour economy.

“This is all fun and friendly today. Wednesday is when the reality will hit,” said Alan Tresidder, a Salem lobbyist for a variety of associations and companies. “I’ve been here a long time. It’s always exciting. It’s a lot like the first day of school.”

And it was. The House convened a little after 8:30 a.m. Once all the legislators were at their desks, the session was called to order, and their names were read out to a chorus of “Here! Here! Here!”

The same happened over in the Senate — though it took a little cajoling to get them to sit down.

The session opens with Oregon’s unemployment rate at more than 8 percent and rising.

The sour economy is expected to reduce tax revenue sharply.

Senate President Peter Courtney told his colleagues as much after he took to the podium.

Lawmakers, he said, would need to think about the seniors seeking medical help, the families on food stamps, the children in foster care, “about all those who are unemployed and, yes, all those who are going to be.”

It would be tough work, he said, but “we will weather this perfect storm, we will complete this impossible mission.”

Whether lawmakers are able to move beyond the economy this session and tackle issues like health care reform and alternative energy remains to be seen, though Tresidder, for one, believes they will.

 “I don’t think that’s all you can expect, but I certainly do think that’s a key issue they’ll always have in mind.”

The Legislature convenes every other year, in odd-numbered years, for a session. Last year, it tested the idea of shorter sessions in even-numbered years.

Like the beginning of any school year, this session begins with high hopes.

Democrats hold majorities in both the House and Senate that are large enough for them to pass tax and revenue increases without Republican votes, but tax increases are rarely popular and in the Senate, and things started off with a notable spirit of bipartisanship, if only symbolically.

Republican leader Sen. Ted Ferrioli of John Day opened the Senate and later Republicans gave Courtney a white rose. Courtney had given corsages to his chamber, and Republican Sen. Jackie Winters told him her caucus wanted to return the favor. “It is a symbol of our collegiality and our good will.”

During a full session of both the House and the Senate, just before the Gov. Ted Kulongoski delivered his address, House Speaker Dave Hunt also hit a certain note of bipartisanship. “Like any family, when we are threatened from outside, we pull together,” he said. “Collectively, we’ve got an important job to do. Let’s get to it.”

It wasn’t all talk; the House passed session rules unanimously, 60-0.

Rep. Jim Weidner, one of the new House Republicans, said it was too early to tell whether the good will last much past the opening ceremonies. Still, he said the Legislature — and his first day as a member — were off to a positive start.

“It’s an exciting time, you know?” he said. “We’re going to see what we can do to help curb some of the economic crisis.”