Guest essay by Eric Worrall
A group of Republican senators are refusing to attend a session, denying Democrat senators the quorum required to pass a climate change bill.
Oregon Republicans are on the lam to avoid voting on a major climate change bill
“Send bachelors and come heavily armed,” one Republican state senator warned police.
By Umair Irfan Updated Jun 21, 2019, 3:58pm EDT
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Democratic Gov. Kate Brown authorized state police to find the lawmakers and bring them back. They are each being fined $500 for every day there aren’t enough senators for a vote. (So far, it’s been two days.) Oregon State Police said they are also coordinating with law enforcement agencies in nearby states to find the Republicans.
Brown lamented the stunt to avoid passing the bill. “It would have been historic for Oregon, historic for the country, and frankly historic for the world,” she said during a press conference Thursday. “Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have failed to show up and failed to do their jobs.”
Republicans were defiant, however. Oregon Senate Republican leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. said in a statement that Republicans were being “bullied by the majority party.”Another state senator in hiding, Brian Boquist, went further, threatening the police who are trying to round up the wayward lawmakers. “Send bachelors and come heavily armed,” he said. “I’m not going to be a political prisoner.”
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Read more: https://www.vox.com/2019/6/21/18700741/oregon-republican-walkout-climate-change-bill
What an overreaction.
Is sending armed police after senators, initiating a multi-state search, really the optics Oregon wants for their flagship carbon cap and trade bill? Is not attending really an offence which warrants arrest with the threat of deadly force? Have Oregon state police been issued with a warrant for the arrest of the Republican senators?
Why don’t Oregon Democrats just wait a few weeks, let the Republican senators make their protest, maybe cut a few concessions to bring them back to the table?
The legislature is running this under an emergency clause so it doesn’t have to go to the voters because frankly they will reject it. Lately Oregon’s leadership comes back after the citizens vote something down and then stuff it through again, essentially giving the voters the middle finger. Yea we know you all shot this down in flames last time, but we really know what is best for you so here it is again.
I repeat a request I saw earlier – is it illegal for the Senators not to attend?
If so, the police should arrest them. If not, what have the police got to do with it?
“Oregon Democrats Order State Police to Force Republican Senators to Return,” Not sure there is any law these Republicans are breaking. By what authority would the police use to force them back? About time we use methods DemocRATs have used for years to combat run away foolish legislation.
Oregon law (and a lot of other states) allows the legislature leadership to use the state police to enforce a quorum call. It’s not that the missing legislators have committed a crime, it’s more like a summons.
If it’s not a crime, how can they be fined $500/day?
All I can say is that with this sort of stupid crap going on I am glad that I am on the right side of fifty as the inmates are obviously running the asylum.
Nothing new. The dems ran and hid here in NC a fews years back to try and stop a Repub Gov, house, and senate from passing I think tax cuts and a concealed carry bill. The governor had enough of them picked up to make for a quorum in the house.
I remember when democrat state legislatures in Texas pulled this same stunt a few years back and they were lauded as hero’s in most of the Texas and National press. Yea, here is the story:
https://www.voanews.com/archive/texas-democrats-flee-neighboring-state-avoid-redistricting-vote-2003-05-15
Democrats in the Wisconsin and then Indiana legislatures have did the same thing not too long ago: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/02/indiana-democrats-flee-state-l.html
So refusing to allow a quorum by running away is not and unusual tactic, except in this instance what is not usual is that it’s Republicans running away and hiding out.
I am ABSOLUTELY on-board with using armed men to force politicians to do their damned job.
Sorry but they “are” doing their job by not allowing the demos to force through a legislative result that the population wouldn’t vote for.
The Republicans are doing their damned job, which is representing the people of Oregon. The Democrats know that the people would never vote for this legislation, so they are trying to circumvent the will of the people by declaring it ‘Emergency’ legislation, which prevents the people from responding to the law with a referendum.
It is obviously not an emergency as there is no discernable evidence that there is even a problem, and if there was a problem, this legislation would not have any impact on it. So the Dems are putting virtue signaling ahead of the will of the people. That is not their damned job.
James, let’s admit that we are dinosaurs, and the world keeps changing around us. “Free speech” is not what it used to be. “Marriage” is not what it used to be. “Emergency” is not what it used to be. 100,000 people illegally entering the country in April is not an emergency.
The Republicans ARE doing their “damned job”. They’re trying to protect the citizens of Oregon from the predatory legislation the Demonrats are trying to ram through.
The majority wins elections. They got the representatives and executive they wanted. Those reps get to write law. If the laws they write are disliked the majority can vote them out and put in a majority who will undo what was done. Why regard one man’s opinion (your’s or mine) of what Oregonians “want” as more valid than the laws enacted by the folks they actually elected? That is the fundamental bargain made for the community retaining the liberty of self governance. Quorums weren’t designed so minority losers could frustrate legislation, they were built to insure fair play at a time when intrastate transportation was time consuming and arduous, not so the whiney kid can take his ball and go home. For good or ill, the people are owed and deserve the government they choose.
When Trump wins elections – resist, Resist, RESIST!
The Republicans ARE voting. The only way they can. With their feet.
The most important job is with the people. The /dems are demonstrating utter contempt for the people with that “Emergency legislation.” Will the people have the sense to vote them out of office, including in Democrat primaries?
Not when the majority party makes it and “emergency” so the law cannot be overturned by the voters. What the Republicans are trying to prevent is tyranny.
The Dems want to avoid a public determination on this bill, which they know is unpopular. The GOP is forcing them to submit the bill to the public by refusing to join their fraudulent procedure.
It’s probably worth mentioning that the current Oregon governor, Kate Brown, when leader of the opposition a few years ago, did exactly the same trick, having all the Democrat senators leave to break the quorum.
Now her own tactic is being used against her, and she is throwing a hissy fit.
I suspect that a lot of Bloomberg/Soros money is riding on this passing.
There have been quite a few people noting the public records of political donation sources to to Democrats in Oregon. Those two lead by a huge margin. We are talking millions per person.
Bought and paid for.
I also suspect this may be why Trump has put Oregon on his re-election target list.
It’s not really a blue state. Brown’s share of the vote was 50.6%. Many suspect that there was some irregularity in how that number was arrived at.
Oregon is entirely a “vote by mail” state.
“Epic Fail: EU’s 2050 Climate Goal Relegated To Footnote At Summit”
https://climatechangedispatch.com/eu-climate-goal-footnote-summit/?fbclid=IwAR3SnCefhFnS_OJ5an_VEA-r2ZkMimBlNA2jHsWCpuYB9J1HkB1DuuP7vbc
“In an unusual move that nevertheless sends a strong signal to businesses, 24 of the EU leaders chose instead to reflect support for the mid-century goal as a footnote in their final statement”
A true Shakespearan play catch comedy:
Kate Brown as Lady in Waiting and the Senators in Hiding.
Tadaa: here comes the police as the clueless clown.
What a funny game. Not.
There are, supposedly, at least 4.5 billion years before this one. How many of these years have been hotter than “…the last five years”?
5 years out of 160 years out of 4.5 billion years isn’t impressive, really.
Science works best with some common sense. Just try hard enough. Don’t forget to enjoy life!
Well, some of the temperatures in the 1930’s were hotter than the last five years and 1998 was hotter than all subsequent years except for 2016, which was 0.1C hotter (a statistical tie).
NASA and NOAA conveniently disappeared 1998 into insignificance using their bogus Hockey Stick charts so they could make that bogus claim that the last five years are the hottest on record
But the UAH satellite chart tells the true story:
http://www.drroyspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/UAH_LT_1979_thru_May_2019_v6.jpg
As you can see, the last five years were not the five hottest years. Currently we are about 0.5C cooler than either 2016 or 1998.
NASA and NOAA should stop lying about the temperatures.
There are several places in Oregon where politicians opposing statewide legislation can hide. In fact most of Oregon land has such places. It’s only within the college towns and larger cities in the Willamette Valley/I-5 corridor that have people next door who would turn them in. We still have counties with only three paved roads into the entire county. We have counties without a single stoplight or a Walmart store. And 100’s of towns without a fast food outlet. And FAR more defensive items than people. Plus every member of each family knows how to safely and accurately use them. Plus such people have more babies than the idiots who think one is too many.
So we will be fine, one way or another.
If only Oregon was as aggressive in pursuing illegals as they are GOP state senators. Of course, the Oregon Dems will claim Trump is a dictator as they want their political opponents rounded up.
gop/public correctly pilloried democrats when they did it in Texas in 2003 and Wisconsin in 2011.
gop themselves should not be allowed to do this now EVEN if I agree with their policies.
As the Democrats will never reciprocate your purportedly ethical behavior, doing so is acting to support the Democrats, not being ethical.
Hide out in the abbey like the family from the Sound of Music, lest the goon squad finds them.
I heard they were hiding out in Tehran and NK. Go get em and take your guns.
“Does the Senate require a quorum?
Article I, section 5 of the Constitution requires that a quorum (51 senators) be present for the Senate to conduct business. Often, fewer than 51 senators are present on the floor, but the Senate presumes a quorum unless a roll call vote or quorum call suggests otherwise.”
“Can Senate vote without a quorum?
If there is no quorum (as shown by a quorum call or roll-call vote), the only actions the Senate can take are to adjourn, to recess, or to compel absent members to come to the chamber.03.07.2018”
https://www.google.com/search?q=force+enough+senators+for+vote&oq=force+enough+senators+for+vote&aqs=chrome.
Enigma. Why are “Oregon Republicans [ ] on the lam to avoid voting on a major climate change bill” – instead of voting.
Because the session ends on June 30, and that would block any action on the bill until next year.
Not of Gov. Brown has her way. She has threatened to call as many special sessions as needed to get this bill passed.
Because the Democrats have a supermajority in both houses, and an iron grip on the Dem representatives. They dare not vote against certain bills, of which this is one.
If all the R’s turn up and vote no it will pass. This is the only way they can block it.
Tom Hallah, IC!
I hear they have some nice cabins at Camp David and some rooms in the basement of the WH.
It’s Portlandia……weaponized.
“Why don’t Oregon Democrats just wait a few weeks, let the Republican senators make their protest, maybe cut a few concessions to bring them back to the table?”
Because the session ends next week.
Oregon Constitution Article IV, Section 9
” Legislators free from arrest and not subject to civil process in certain cases; words uttered in debate.
Senators and Representatives in all cases, except for treason, felony, or breaches of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during the session of the Legislative Assembly, and in going to and returning from the same; and shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the Legislative Assembly, nor during the fifteen days next before the commencement thereof: Nor shall a member for words uttered in debate in either house, be questioned in any other place.-“
I’d stay away from that state Capitol also. It’s the ugliest one I’ve ever seen!
Back to the table? A couple of concessions away from cap and trade? Nope.
As of today 6/27, the Dems say that they no longer have the votes to pass the Cap and Trade, bill so they say it is dead. The Republicans aren’t trusting them and are still out. The Dem’s already did the emergency clause on another bill earlier this year, demonstrating that they don’t want the voters input on anything.