Oregon Senators Face Re-election Ban After Prolonged Boycott
Hoisted on their own petard. "The phrase occurs in Hamlet Act 3, Scene 4,[6] as a part of one of Hamlet's speeches in the Closet Scene.[a] Hamlet has been acting mad..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoist_with_his_own_petard
Republicans are truly bringing Shakespeare into the 21st Century. Was tempted to say well and truly, but it's much more being unwell. And unruly.
By Mike Baker May 16, 2023
The News
Frustrated, powerless and with little hope of regaining significant influence anytime soon, Republican lawmakers in Oregon have in recent years turned repeatedly to a disruptive tactic: boycotting their own legislature.
The stalling strategy, with senators fleeing the State Capitol to avoid casting a vote, has at times proved effective in a state where two-thirds of lawmakers must be present in order for the legislature to conduct business. It has been so disruptive that voters altered the Constitution last year to punish those who were repeatedly absent by barring them from re-election.
But now, as the legislature debates contentious bills over abortion and transgender rights, some lawmakers are boycotting once again. This week, in the first significant test of the new law, three state senators reached the legal threshold of 10 unexcused absences.
“Let it be abundantly clear: This is just the beginning of the fight,” Tim Knopp, the Republican Senate minority leader, said in a statement.
Republicans have signaled that they may challenge the new constitutional provision in court. The three lawmakers who have reached the 10-day mark are Dennis Linthicum and Daniel Bonham, both Republicans, along with Brian Boquist, a former Republican who is now an independent. There are no term limits in the legislature, but some senators are facing re-election campaigns as soon as next year.
Mr. Knopp has called for a more bipartisan approach to deal with the concerns of Republicans, who have made it clear that they oppose bills that would expand access to abortion and require insurance companies to cover gender-transitioning treatment when a health care provider deems it medically necessary.
Demonstrators stood outside the Oregon State Capitol during a rally last week calling for an end to the Senate Republican walkout in Salem, Ore. Amanda Loman/Associated Press
Why It Matters
If the walkout were to persist, a wide range of bills, including on transportation, schools and homelessness, could end up as collateral casualties. But first comes the question of whether the absenteeism law motivates enough lawmakers to come back to the Capitol. How many will be willing to risk their futures?
“The voters were clear: Walking out on our democracy is not an option,” said Senator Kate Lieber, the Democratic Senate majority leader, referring to last year’s ballot measure.
Committee hearings so far have continued; only half the lawmakers on a panel are needed to reach a quorum in those proceedings.
Background
In the last few years, Republicans have used walkouts to stall bills on taxes, climate legislation and abortion. During one of those earlier walkouts, the former Democratic governor, Kate Brown, sent state troopers to track down boycotting lawmakers but had no luck getting them to return, until Democratic leaders declared dead for the year a cap-and-trade climate proposal that the boycotting lawmakers had opposed. The state’s new governor, Tina Kotek, also a Democrat, has ruled out a haul-them-back-to-work strategy.
In a state where Democrats dominate the population centers in the West and Republicans thrive in the more rural areas of the South and East, Republicans have felt so powerless at times that some have explored a more permanent separation, with a long-shot proposal to absorb the eastern part of the state into Idaho.
It was not always this way. At the start of the century, Republicans controlled both legislative chambers. In 2001, Democrats in the State House used a walkout to protest the Republican majority’s redistricting plans. But that was before the rising progressive influence of places like Portland and Eugene.
More than two-thirds of voters approved of the ban on legislative absenteeism last year.
What’s Next
Democrats are hopeful that lawmakers will return to their work in the coming days. Some of the Republican lawmakers have yet to reach the 10-day mark and could return to the Capitol before they do. The legislature is supposed to approve a new state budget by the end of June.
A Republican lawsuit, if filed, would not be resolved in time for the current session, but it could help bring clarity for next year’s session — and determine who gets to run for re-election.
Mike Baker is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska.
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