Republican senators’ walkout enters its sixth week. Their behavior violates Oregon’s Constitution and puts nearly 300 vital bills on the chopping block. Many of these bills are bipartisan. According to a House and Senate Majority joint press release on June 6, 2023, “Democratic legislators joined impacted communities and leaders in calling on Senate Republicans to stop the sabotage and get back to work. Oregonians sent [GOP] lawmakers a clear mandate to tackle issues like homelessness, public safety, education, and abortion rights.”
Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Dist. 46) said this walkout is part of a national pattern. Republicans are choosing to ignore Democracy instead of prevailing during elections. She further declared: “Our rights, freedoms, and liberty are not up for sale.”
Sandy Young, Executive Director of ACLU Oregon, added: “Democracy struggles to survive when politicians repeatedly game the system — when they manipulate technical rules to stop Democracy from happening. This is what the Republicans are doing right now.”
Furthermore, with this walkout, “not only are they refusing to participate in democracy, they are obstructing it,” she added.
This boycott is enabled by Oregon’s rule that there must be a quorum for work to be done on the House or the Senate floor. Democrats hold 17 of the Senate’s 30 seats, but at least 20 legislators must be present to conduct business. Oregon is one of four states requiring a quorum, Texas, Wisconsin, and Tennessee.
In the past five legislative sessions, this marks Oregon Republicans’ 5th walkout. Each time they demanded the majority party — Democrats — disregard the voters’ priorities. Moreover, each time they continued to draw their taxpayer-funded salaries. The state statute indicates there are no exceptions for unexcused absences.
However, fines were approved after Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Dist. 19) said that paychecks had gone out on June 1, 2023, including absent senators, Republican and Democrat alike.
Perhaps it is time for voters to demand changes in laws governing legislative practices. Changing the quorum rule to majority makes it harder to conduct walkouts. Salaries should be affected for unexcused absences to align with the Oregon Constitution.
GOP Senators Boycott Target: HB2022
Currently, this is the longest walkout in the state’s history. Senate Republicans are holding Oregon hostage to block HB2022, the Reproductive Health & Access to Care Bill, which aligns with Oregon law with Roe v Wade.
The measure is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning the Dobbs decision. According to the Oregon Capitol Chronicle, Oregonians support abortion rights at a higher rate than the national average.
A 2022 Oregon Values and Beliefs Center survey found that the state’s voters strongly support abortion rights. Oregonians said abortion should be legal in most or all cases compared to all Americans, 72% to 61%, respectively.
Paula Bednarek, M.D., M.P.H., told rally attendees that she supports the Reproductive Health & Access to Care Bill. “As an OB/BYN, I join hundreds of Oregon doctors who support HB2002. We need this to clarify Oregon law so providers can deliver effective and safe [patient care].”
Legislation Affected by GOP Walkout
Leadership from both parties met during the walkout but could not negotiate the boycott’s end. However, the Republicans are expected to return to the Senate chambers a couple of days before the regular session, which ends on June 25 if there is no extension.
The press release states, “In 2019, when Senate Republicans showed up with two days left in the session, the Senate only got through 121 bills.” Additionally, “legislators were not allowed to debate, ask questions, or offer statements of support or opposition.” As a result, Democrat Senators voiced great concern. “There are currently hundreds of bills stalled, making it impossible to pass critical legislation if Republicans come back with only one to a few days left of this session, as they have indicated.”
At risk are health care, behavioral health, and public safety bills. Wildfire response, addressing homelessness, education, and reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights legislation, is also at stake. Additionally, the state will lose billions of federal dollars from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ American Rescue Plan and Inflation Act if not addressed soon. These funds could be used for major infrastructure projects across the state, including rural Oregon.
Rep. David Gomberg (D-Dist. 10) said, “Structures like Big Creek Dams in Newport need federal funding to support the industries we rely on. We cannot leave Rural Oregon behind.”
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
State of Oregon Press Release: STOP THE SABOTAGE: Democrats Join Oregonians on Capitol Steps to Defend Democracy, Call for End to GOP Obstruction
State of Oregon Press Release: Bipartisan Bills Supporting Rural Oregon Stall as Senate Republicans Abandon Their Districts
KGW8 NBC News: Nearly 300 bills at stake due to Republican-led walkout in the Oregon Senate; by Daisy Caballero and KGE Staff
KGW8 NBC News: Hundreds of bills at risk as Oregon Senate Republican walkout stretches on
Oregon Capitol Chronicle: Oregonians support abortion access at higher rates than the rest of US, survey finds; by Julia Shumway
Images Courtesy of State of Oregon House Majority Office and Senate Majority Office Press Kit June 6, 2023
