Or. Laws 1979, ch 196, ยง 2. The provision was adopted in the context of concerns about the requirements of the bidding and purchasing sections of the public contracting statutes and, in particular, about the implications of a then-recent Court of Appeals decision, Photo-Art v. Hunter, 42 Or. App. 207, 600 P.2d 471 (1979). Photo-Art held that a state agency contract with a film-making company for the production and ultimate purchase of three films was a "public contract" within the meaning of ORS 279.011(1) as it then appeared and that the agency should have awarded it to the lowest qualified bidder.
In interpreting a statute, the court must begin with the language used and is bound to give words of common usage their natural, ordinary meaning unless that leads to an absurd or unreasonable result. Photo-Art Commercial Studios, Inc. v. Hunter, 42 Or. App. 207, 600 P.2d 471 (1979); Oregon Oyster Co. v. Dept. of Rev., 7 OTR 308 (1978). Words of common use are to be given their natural, plain and obvious meaning, rather than any curious, narrow or hidden sense.
State v. Shumway, 44 Or. App. 657, 607 P.2d 191 (1980). In interpreting a statute, the court must begin with the language used and is bound to give words of common usage their natural, ordinary meaning unless that leads to an absurd or unreasonable result. Photo-Art Commercial Studios, Inc. v. Hunter, 42 Or. App. 207, 600 P.2d 471 (1979); Oregon Oyster Co. v. Dept. of Rev., 7 OTR 308 (1978). Words of common use are to be given their natural, plain and obvious meaning, rather than any curious, narrow or hidden sense.