Bills stall as Oregon Republicans say they won't return to work until June 25
The walkout in Oregon's Senate hit day 15 Tuesday when only two Republicans made an appearance on the floor.
As roll call went on in the chamber, Senate Republican leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, released a statement saying the Republican and Independent senators would return the morning of June 25, the last day of the session, to pass "lawful, substantially bipartisan budgets and bills."
Knopp went on to accuse Democrat leadership of threatening to "shut down the government if they don’t get their way."
But a bill the Senate cleared just two days before the walkout began and that the governor signed into law May 16 ensures state agencies will be funded at least through Sept. 15, giving the Legislature some additional time to finalize a budget.
For subscribers: Oregon Republicans regularly use walkouts as leverage. Here's what it has accomplished
In the statement, Knopp said they guarantee to return before constitutional sine die to address things like homelessness, affordable housing, public safety and education but not to address an "unlawful, uncompromising, and unconstitutional" agenda.
The walkout followed the introduction in the Senate of bills that proposed to add gun restrictions, expand abortion protections and address care for transgender individuals.
Senate president urges Republicans to return, debate legislation
Returning on the final day to pass a budget is a move Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, said last week he would not allow.
He recalled a speech given by then-House Speaker Tina Kotek decrying a similar attempt by Senate Republicans in 2020 to return 12 hours before the session deadline. Democrats adjourned before the last day, leaving the Republicans without a quorum and no additional work was done.
"The same standard is going to apply here," Wagner said Thursday.
On Tuesday in a brief conversation with reporters, Wagner reiterated that he would be consistent in not allowing Republicans to return hours before the set end of session.
"We're here to do the people's work. All the bills should be considered. This is our democracy. People need to show up on the floor," he said.
Abortion legislation: What it proposes
Wagner urged senators to come to the floor and debate the legislation they object to.
"Come tell the voters. Tell your citizens. Tell your constituents," he said.
All but three Senate Republicans have now seemingly disqualified themselves from running for another term under Measure 113, racking up more than 10 unexcused absences since the walkout began May 3.
Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, has only one unexcused absence while Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, has four. Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, remains excused for medical reasons.
It is expected that Republicans will challenge the voter-approved measure in court.
Education, other bills could be doomed if walkout doesn't end
And with a month left before sine die, dozens of bills could be doomed if Republicans don't return.
Kotek has said she would be willing to organize a special session for a budget, but that would mean little for already-introduced legislation that addresses key priorities for Democrats.
The House had 123 bills waiting for consideration in the Senate as of Monday, according to the office of the House speaker.
"Senate Republicans have made it clear, to them this walkout is about abortion," Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, said in an email to the Statesman. "For Oregonians, this walkout is also about our ability to invest in our kids’ education, our ability to respond to drought and wildfire, invest in rural infrastructure, and address our housing supply issues, homelessness and behavioral health, and make our communities safer."
On Tuesday, Rayfield spoke further about his frustration with the use of "caustic" political maneuvers in the Senate that he said are holding the entire agenda of a Legislature hostage. The walkout is unacceptable, he said, but the House is keeping its head down and continuing work.
"Their choice to walkout is a choice to shirk their duty and kill bills that will intimately impact many Oregonians," Rayfield said.
Representatives in the House Education Committee released a statement Tuesday morning expressing their disappointment with the stall of "critical education bills."
The statement said bills stalled would address educator workforce shortages, protect funding for smaller school districts, increase school safety and more.
"Our amazing educators and school faculty show up every day for their students. Senate Republicans need to do the same,” said Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, a member of the House Education Committee and a former Reynolds School District school board member. “Oregonians sent us to Salem to deliver solutions for our schools. We have the votes. We just need our colleagues to come back and do their jobs."
Languishing bills include a proposed $10.2 billion for K-12 schools and $140 million for early literacy, one of the priorities outlined by Kotek.
The $10.2 billion is "historic" and would be paired with local property tax revenues to increase current school resources by 12.3%, according to a statement.
Other education bills Democrats highlighted in the statement were:
Senate Bill 283: Would direct the Oregon Department of Education to establish a statewide data system on the education workforce in the state.
House Bill 3135: Would preserve funding for small school districts in certain conditions.
House Bill 3584: The School Emergency Notifications Act would direct school districts to provide communication to parents, guardians and staff if there is a safety threat.
House Bill 2280: Would update the statutory definition of sexual harassment in school districts.
House Bill 2669: Would update requirements in school districts to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing children and declare that deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind children have the same rights as those who are not.
House Bill 2905: Would add requirement in Oregon's Common Curriculum Goals to include Jewish history and individuals.
Oregon bills addressing guns, abortion, legal representation at risk
Other stalled bills include House Bill 2002 and 2005, which Democratic leaders have said are two bills Republicans have requested they kill in exchange for ending the walkout. The bills would address abortion rights, gender-affirming care and gun safety.
The overhaul of Oregon's public defense system is also threatened. Senate Bill 337 is over a year in the making.
According to the Oregon Judicial Department dashboard, there are 2,000 unrepresented people in Oregon as of Tuesday. Of those, 265 are in custody. In Marion County, there are 157 unrepresented individuals.
On Tuesday, the Oregon House passed bills aimed at improving HVAC systems in public schools and House Bill 2004, which would send the choice for ranked-choice voting in certain elections to Oregon voters. Both bills will join the pile of bills waiting for consideration in the Senate.
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Republican walkout to continue until last day of session
