Origanalist
06-20-2019, 08:26 PM
Gov. Brown sends police to find walkout GOP senators: ‘They need to return and do the jobs they were elected to do’
Senate Republicans walked out in protest over a cap-and-trade bill that pushes Oregonians to lower pollution by ditching fossil fuel engines.
SALEM, Ore. -- Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday authorized Oregon State Police to round up GOP senators who have staged a walkout in protest of the cap-and-trade energy conservation bill.
"The Senate Republicans have decided to abandon their duty to serve their constituents and walk out," Brown said in a statement.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that the Senate Republicans would turn their back on their constituents, who they are honor-bound to represent here in this building," she said. "They need to return and do the jobs they were elected to do.”
In an awkward opening of the Senate, President Peter Courtney called it the "saddest day of my legislative life," to ask Brown to use troopers to find the senators. The Thursday Senate session began with only Democrats answering roll call.
No Republican senators have shown up and some even left the state.
Sen. Tim Knopp, who represents Bend, said he is out of the state but not with other senators. He said the senators remain united and in contact about the walkout.
"We had about 1,000 loggers in the Capitol the other day and it didn't seem to have any impact on the thinking of people who are pushing this bill forward," Knopp said over the phone. "So, the only options we had to slow this bill down and get the attention of the public and the majority was to deny a quorum and walk out."
A spokeswoman for Senate Republicans confirmed some members left the state because state police don't have jurisdiction outside Oregon. Oregon State Police can force any senators they track down in Oregon into a patrol car to return them to the Capitol.
OSP said Brown has authority under Oregon law to direct the agency to provide assistance with bringing back senators to the Capitol for quorum.
Democrats in Oregon control both the House and the Senate. Democrats have an 18 to 12 majority in the chamber, but need 20 members present for a quorum.
“While we obviously have many tools at our disposal, patience and communication is and always will be our first, and preferred, option," OSP said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
The missing legislators will be fined $500 for each floor session they miss starting Friday, with the money taken from salary or per diem.
RELATED: Oregon senators in walkout face $500 daily fines
It's the not the first time OSP has been used to retrieve state senators. In 2007, troopers were sent to an Oregon State University baseball game to bring Republican senators, who walked out over a tax deal, back to the Capitol. A different senator reportedly attended the floor session, without police assistance, to provide quorum.
Sen. Brian Boquist, a Republican from Dallas, pushed back on Wednesday against the governor's threats to mobilize the state police.
"If you send the state police after me," he told Senate President Peter Courtney, "Hell's coming to get you."
Boquist re-iterated his stance with KGW's Pat Dooris. He said if police come, they should "send bachelors and come heavily armed. I'm not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon."
More at https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/gov-brown-sends-police-to-find-walkout-gop-senators-they-need-to-return-and-do-the-jobs-they-were-elected-to-do/283-3a3d22d5-7a51-424c-8fe1-1645b8516306
Senate Republicans walked out in protest over a cap-and-trade bill that pushes Oregonians to lower pollution by ditching fossil fuel engines.
SALEM, Ore. -- Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday authorized Oregon State Police to round up GOP senators who have staged a walkout in protest of the cap-and-trade energy conservation bill.
"The Senate Republicans have decided to abandon their duty to serve their constituents and walk out," Brown said in a statement.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that the Senate Republicans would turn their back on their constituents, who they are honor-bound to represent here in this building," she said. "They need to return and do the jobs they were elected to do.”
In an awkward opening of the Senate, President Peter Courtney called it the "saddest day of my legislative life," to ask Brown to use troopers to find the senators. The Thursday Senate session began with only Democrats answering roll call.
No Republican senators have shown up and some even left the state.
Sen. Tim Knopp, who represents Bend, said he is out of the state but not with other senators. He said the senators remain united and in contact about the walkout.
"We had about 1,000 loggers in the Capitol the other day and it didn't seem to have any impact on the thinking of people who are pushing this bill forward," Knopp said over the phone. "So, the only options we had to slow this bill down and get the attention of the public and the majority was to deny a quorum and walk out."
A spokeswoman for Senate Republicans confirmed some members left the state because state police don't have jurisdiction outside Oregon. Oregon State Police can force any senators they track down in Oregon into a patrol car to return them to the Capitol.
OSP said Brown has authority under Oregon law to direct the agency to provide assistance with bringing back senators to the Capitol for quorum.
Democrats in Oregon control both the House and the Senate. Democrats have an 18 to 12 majority in the chamber, but need 20 members present for a quorum.
“While we obviously have many tools at our disposal, patience and communication is and always will be our first, and preferred, option," OSP said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
The missing legislators will be fined $500 for each floor session they miss starting Friday, with the money taken from salary or per diem.
RELATED: Oregon senators in walkout face $500 daily fines
It's the not the first time OSP has been used to retrieve state senators. In 2007, troopers were sent to an Oregon State University baseball game to bring Republican senators, who walked out over a tax deal, back to the Capitol. A different senator reportedly attended the floor session, without police assistance, to provide quorum.
Sen. Brian Boquist, a Republican from Dallas, pushed back on Wednesday against the governor's threats to mobilize the state police.
"If you send the state police after me," he told Senate President Peter Courtney, "Hell's coming to get you."
Boquist re-iterated his stance with KGW's Pat Dooris. He said if police come, they should "send bachelors and come heavily armed. I'm not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon."
More at https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/gov-brown-sends-police-to-find-walkout-gop-senators-they-need-to-return-and-do-the-jobs-they-were-elected-to-do/283-3a3d22d5-7a51-424c-8fe1-1645b8516306