We covered this story a couple of days ago.
Republican state senators have gone into hiding to avoid capture. It’s TV drama time.
Without a quorum, the legislature cannot legally vote on the bill.
The stalemate continued into the weekend.
“I don’t think you’re going to see us anytime soon,” Republican Sen. Herman Baertschiger Jr, the state Senate’s minority leader, told Portland ABC affiliate KATU by phone Saturday evening.
The Republicans are being fined $500 dollars/day by the Democratic Governor while avoiding showing up.
A GoFundMe account was started to raise money to pay off the absentee politicians’ fines, which had raised over $37,000 in two days as of Saturday night. State ethics laws prevent the senators from accepting the money, however, unless the donations are tracked through the government’s filing system, called Orestar.
The walkout strategy is not new, has been used by both sides , previously, and has even been successful during the current legislative session.
GOP senators walked out earlier in the legislative session over an education funding bill, but that impasse was quickly broken when Democrats agreed to kill two other bills, according to KATU.
For now the game of hide and seek continues.
State troopers were indeed searching for the senators on Friday and Saturday, Brown said.
They were unlikely to find state Sen. Tim Knopp, who told KATU on Friday he was not even in Oregon anymore.
“I am in a cabin near a lake,” Knopp said during a Facebook video chat interview. “And that’s about all I can tell you.”
The 11 senators who are MIA include Baertschiger, Cliff Bentz, Brian Boquist, Fred Girod, Bill Hansell, Dallas Heard, Knopp, Dennis Linthicum, Alan Olsen, Chuck Thomsen and Kim Thatcher.
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Even if this tactic ultimately fails, it does bring attention to a legislative issue, which the legacy media rarely ever covers.
The Democrats should not get all pious over this tactic, as Democrats used it in Texas and Wisconsin, both times with an ultimate failure.
…and Oregon when Dems did not have the majority in the Senate.
By Youtube author Mr Reagan: “Oregon is a Fascist State”
Oh – and the hell of it is, she became governor after John Kitzhaber was removed from office for his much-younger grifter girlfriend, Cylvia Hayes was caught influence peddling – let off with a slap on the wrist token fine, where others caught doing similar things go to prison (I think Tom Steyer had something to do with THAT – personal opinion). And as happy as I was to see Prince John go, Brown was the worst possible follow-up.
Oregon tends to slip under the radar, but is important as a hub-cap between California and Washington – completing the coast-state front against shipping and trucking for non-favored industries.
Oregon’s practice since then has basically been radical leftists doing what they want, and if they don’t get the vote, they simply pass bill legislatively, while denying the public any options to block – the ‘vote’ is simply a time-consuming formality that they ignore if it doesn’t go their way.
No benefit for any of this legislation, of course, except for flushing more money down the government black-hole. This Cap and Trade has finally got people up in arms – perhaps too late – but this has been metastasizing for a long time.
Poll on local KGW – 85% against.
So much for that ‘republicans are defying the will of the people’ bullshit.
To paraphrase W.C. Fields, “They ARE defying the will of the people. Us people, that is…”
The Republicans are looking out for the people and their pocketbooks. Good for them. The Democrats are doing what all rats do, steal as much money from the people they can by perpetrating the climate fraud.
I happen to be a relatively recent escapee from Oregon, departing in May of 2014. With a Democrat Party super majority, Oregon has become little more than a northern county of California. Politics are controlled by Portland and Eugene.
Republicans could have done this years earlier over other pieces of crap legislation put forth by the Democrat majority, but lacked the cajones. FINALLY, they have grown a spine.
I grew up in Oregon, and even 30 years ago Portland and Eugene/Springfield (and Ashland/Medford) could dictate policy to the rest of the state.
I love how they’re up in arms about it, but fail to recall that Democrat state legislators in Wisconsin did the same thing.
And in Oregon by dems in prior years
I agree and I can’t figure out why the Dems are cranky when the Reps pull the same stunt – OH – I forgot – the Dems never heard of ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’!
To a liberal, whether a tactic is legitimate or illegitimate depends solely up whether they benefit or not.
Go back to work, vote to kill that bill and stop hiding like a silly bunch of kids. Beat them at their own game, for Pete’s sake.
Sadly Sara you don’t understand the situation as the only way they can defeat the so called emergency measure is to do what they are doing as they don’t have numbers to defeat it.
Exactly, If they are No Show, their state senate hasn’t the ability to pass legislation as there is insufficient representation. If they DO show up, there is sufficient representation for Quorum and sufficient support to pass the bill.
Republicans only have one option, Prevent Quorum
The Dems included an “emergency clause” in the legislation that prevents the citizens of Oregon from voting on the CO2 cap & trade bill. That caused the walkout.
Oregon’s ruling class knows what is best for their citizenry. /sarc
Screw the DIMMs in OR, they have been shafting the state for decades.
Sara – this IS the only means at their disposal.
Sara,
If they show up and vote, they lose, period.
If they don’t show up then there is not a legal quorum, and there is no vote, and there is no cap/trade inflicted on people in the state.
The dems say they want to mitigate the harm on rural Oregon by providing money for ‘programs’ that will help the rural areas of Oregon; programs that will be controlled by politics … programs that will further CONTROL rural areas.
It is not “silly”. It is a legitimate tool under the rules that everyone has taken an oath to abide by. You can bet your bippie that the instant the (D) party would ever need to use the tool, not only would they not hesitate to do so, but the media would cheer their “courage”.
Can we sponsor a hideout and make donations to untainted climate science during this hide-a-thon in place of real legislative issues?
Nothing new here. The Wisconsin democrats fled to Minnesota rather than provide a forum for Governor Walker when he wanted to streamline his state. I am surprised that there are as many republicans in Oregon. Must be from east of the Cascades.
Oregon, and Washington are as politically fractured as CA. Portland, Eugene, Corvallis … hardcore coastal leftist enclaves … all parts inland … just the political opposite. I guess Oregon hasn’t yet gone FULL supermajority leftist like CA. Good thing … because here in CA … our gasoline taxes are set to SPIKE up further … in the name of “saving the planet”. As usual, the middle class are the one’s paying the tab. Just another regressive tax driving the middle class OUT of CA.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/12/state-gas-tax-to-jump-nearly-6-cents-a-gallon-on-july-1-roadshow/
They’ll need to stay gone well in July to avoid the Herr
Fuhrere’sGovernor’s threat to call a special session in July to address the phony “climate crisis.” Much higher gas and electricity costs and more regulatory control are what await Oregonians get for electing those stupid and corrupt Democrats into positions of political power.If the east side and southern Oregon band together-(and votee0 the supermajority won’t be as “super.’ Also there is a breed of Oregon Dem the old libertarian Hippies who are not such a minority too. who have always voted dem ,and who are independent thinkers do not want to go gently into governmental dictation.. We are not quite Kalifornia-yet.
Forget it. Too many commies along the I-5 corridor. The only way to save parts of OR and WA is to divide the states at the Cascades and leave the westsiders to their feces and taxes. We left Bend for ID when OR became KA Norte
This has just GOT to be made into a film
My understanding is that the fact this carbon tax bill was labelled ’emergency’ provoked the quorum-busting walkout.
When the state of Washington put a recent, similar bill up for public referendum, it was shot down bigly.
To sidestep this fate, an ’emergency’ Oregon bill was put forth to shield it from a vote from the public.
Leastwise, this is how it was explained to me.
That’s my understanding as well. A ‘tax’ bill has to go to the public for a referendum to become law. The democrats are trying to not call this a tax and by calling the bill an emergency they get to skip the referendum. It was the democratic tactic of classifying this bill as emergency legislation that prompted the walkout.
Though you don’t get this angle from the MSM.
Correct. The corrupt, lying Democrats, while trying to claim it’s about Democracy, are intentionally maneuvering to keep the legislation from being reversed in a later state-wide referendum, which is would be easily.
Socialism in action in Oregon’s Democrats. The key is o never let them gain political positions of power. History conclusively shows they will abuse political power and destroy individual freedoms and democracy if allowed to gain more power.
Understand that in Oregon, the Democrat super majority doesn’t care about the will of the people. A year of so ago, a ballot measure that would lead to driver licenses for illegal aliens was defeated by a large majority of voters. So, this session, the Dems pushed it through anyway.
THIS is tyranny.
Yep.
Correcto. The Repugs want it to be submitted to the people for a referendum vote, but the DIMMrats know it would fail, hence the emergency ploy. Typical leftist BS.
From something I read earlier today the issue is that the way the Democrats are dong this is with “emergency” legislation, meaning the citizens can’t do a referendum to put it to a vote on a ballot. The bill supposedly has a direct, large and negative impact on small businesses (haven’t read the bill, just relaying other people’s points.) That is why the Republicans have refused to attend the legislative sessions.
Then the governor says she will send the state police to arrest any legislator that doesn’t show up. And they call Trump a fascist! This is just the tip of the iceberg that we can expect from our Democrat “overlords”. And I’m not a Republican.
And you should see how many bills are labeled “emergency!” Almost all of them.
Yes, in 2050 democracy will consist of a few elite committees at the regional level and the international level. Those who oppose will be labeled, branded, and disappeared with concurrence by the oligarchs and a million nonprofit policy shapers and enforcer groups.
Yes – this is all about avoiding a vote.
And it’s a money grab, because the public unions retirement fund is bankrupt.
As for the featured photo with this article… it is not the cops here who are the clowns. A cartoon of a jackass taking bribe of a cash-stuffed carrot from Tom Steyer would be more appropriate.
The clowns are the Politicians. The cops are just caught in the middle with corrupt, power hungry governor as the State’s chief executive.
Maybe they time traveled to the year 2050.
If someone were to time travel from 1989 to today, everything still would look very familiar. They would still be able to get in a car and drive it. Buy a plane ticket and fly. Food would still look like the same food to them. Even on Sirius/XM they could still listen to their 80’s MTV VJ’s playing the same Michael Jackson, U2, Police, Cyndi Lauper, and Wham songs or the FM radio station here in Tucson that plays 70’s and 80’s tunes.
Probably smart phones and high speed internet would be different to them. But in terms of operation, if AOC can use a smartphone, then so too could a 20 year old GenXer from 1989.
Someone from 1989 would see there are no flying cars. No StarTrek transporters. Video telephone chats are still more specialty than a mainstream thing. No moon colonies.
And probably much to their surprise much regression:
The Space Shuttle would be gone and NASA would be using the Ruskies to put men and women into space. And NASA would be adjusting temperature records to meet theory.
Most amazingly to an 1989’er in Old Slow Joe Biden would still in DC jockeying for political power and creeping out married women with his touching.
So I suspect someone in 2019 jumping ahead to 2050 would still find most everything quite familiar.
In 1989 there were even proto-internet chat programs, which I was using my first year at college, and early email programs, early versions of some video games out today. I think phones everywhere and the ATms and subsequent near-disappearance of checks + epayments are he biggest day-to-day differences. No more floating checks!
“They seek them here, they seek them there
Those Troopers seek him everywhere
Are they in heaven or are they in hell?
Those da(e)mned elusive Republicans.”
original by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
They seek them here; they seek them there.
Those Troopers seek them everywhere.
Are they in heaven; are they in hell?
Republicans will never tell.
edited by jws
Hi from Oz. Wow, isn’t US politics fun? Are the radical Republicans going to themselves the Scarlet Pimpernels? Are the Democrats going to put ‘Wanted’ posters up all over the state, with a suitable reward for capturing any of these outlaws? Has nothing changed over there since I watched Tom Mix films with the white hats chasing the black hats sixty years ago? Ok – glad to see that some things can be depended upon. Enjoy your ‘climate emergency’ or whatever it is!
I would appreciate a US citizen – or someone knowledgeable in US law – providing some comment as to the legality of this action.
In particular, I would like to know if it is against the law not to attend the State Senate. Given the absentees are apparently being fined for not doing so, it would appear that it is, but I see no mention of them being charged or taken to court – both of which would seem to be required before the police can be tasked to look for them.
Yes, it sort of is a crime not to attend a legislative session, in the same sense that it is a crime not to appear in court when summoned.
In many states, a legislative quorum call has the legal status of a summons, and the state police can be used to enforce both a quorum call and a summons.
It’s certainly unconstitutional to infringe legislative privilege like this under the Oregon Constitution
On the other hand, the Oregonian Republicans are using what is called the “Strictly Necessary” defense. Their argument is that Congress is violating the constitution with this action, and therefore they are breaking laws in order to stop the worse crime.
To my knowledge, this sort of walkout has never resulted in anyone being arrested.
Ben,
Congress has nothing to do with this particular situation. It is the Oregon House of Representatives, that have ramrodded through terrible legislation, and that won’t (because of the phoney “Emergency” designation) allow such a terrible bill to be put before the people in a ballot initiative.
What is frustrating for those of us who have already escaped OR because of Democrat Party tyranny, is that the Oregon GOP found their spine far too late.
I can now fully understand the logic of the second amendment which gave the American citizens the right to bear arms, in the event the state exceeded its legitimate authority.
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
To be correct, the Second Amendment, in fact the entire Constitution does not grant any rights to the people. The people have all the rights and the Constitution contains the powers we the people give to the government in order to function. The Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments , reiterate the rights we the people already have and further express what the government CANNOT due.
Reread the Amendment in that context.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
A well read electorate, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and read Books, shall not be infringed.”
What politicians do when there aren’t any wars to fight. Declare bogus emergencies they must fight so they can interfere with people’s lives. Impose one set of values by law, theirs.
It is why you need guns. But people voted for these useless “representatives” (of who, exactly?), and their corrupt officials. So the people are to blame. Perhaps the underwater cascade ridge will blow and the state will be washed clean of the polluting humans by the regular Tsunami, happens quite often, every 400 years or so? The Indians will tell you if you ask them. That’s an existential risk, not a natural gas making the plants grow, while in fact nothing else is changing in any significant way. Except the offshore tectonics. Numpties.
This would be a great teaching moment for Oregon residents if only the legacy media would help.
http://www.drroyspencer.com/wp-content/uploads/UAH_LT_1979_thru_February_2018_v6.jpg
http://climate4you.com/images/AMO%20DetrendedGlobalAnnualIndexSince1856%20With11yearRunningAverage.gif
What a clown show US politics is.
Makes the UK’s MPs look like professional & competent.
Not even close
You’re not wrong. But Oregon’s trying hard.
Not from where I am sitting it doesn’t.
Perhaps too few people know what is actually going on in UK politics today, perhaps this is not the best forum to illuminate it.
Suffice to say, don’t live next door to a Guardian loving American second rate female theatre producer who likes recording noises, coming from her neighbours house, if you have aspirations to becoming the next PM
One word: “Milkshakes”.
In addition we’re going to need aid stations and hideouts for ordinary residents from Oregon.
Given a choice I’d take the old days of “Save the Whales”, “Free Tibet”, and “Nuclear Winter” over “Climate Emergency-or-we-send the state police after you”.
Kenji
You would be correct, to pass any bill in Oregon, the Anti-American party of Oregon,needs two republicans for a quorum. HB2020, sounds a lot like the Paris Accord. Ms. Brown did sign a pledge that she was still in, not we the people.
Oregon progressive lawmakers are trying to keep up with California’s madness.
“When Dr. Philip Mote, Director of the Oregon Climate Services and Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, was asked by me what the impact would be on the global climate if Oregon were to reduce their emissions to zero, he responded the impact would be, “Imperceptible.”
Oh, but they’re pumped up with their own warm-fuzzy.
And a lot of money – in the sort-term, at least until businesses start to die en-masse.