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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2019
Republican walkout throws end of session into doubt
State police
searching for
senators
By CLAIRE
WITHYCOMBE,
AUBREY WIEBER and
MARK MILLER
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — The political
standoff over a plan to cap
carbon emissions in Oregon
has left the Legislature list-
ing toward its fi nal deadline
at the end of the month.
Eleven Senate Republi-
cans have gone on the lam,
leaving Democrats two sen-
ators short of having enough
senators present to vote on
bills.
Democrats spent most
of Thursday confi ned to the
Senate fl oor, awaiting the
return of colleagues who
don’t appear to be coming
back anytime soon. They
chatted, scrolled on their
tablet computers or sat in
silence.
Meantime, rumors fl ew
around the Capitol building,
suggesting some senators had
high-tailed it to Montana and
Idaho. A supporter started a
crowdfunding page to pay
for their expenses while
they’re beyond the grasp of
the Oregon State Police. By
Thursday evening, the effort
had raised nearly $10,000.
Amid the fracas, Gov.
Kate Brown called an after-
noon press conference at
which she spoke for less than
fi ve minutes — charging that
Republican senators “failed
to do their job” and insist-
ing they return to the Capitol
— before shaking hands with
youth environmental activ-
ists arrayed behind her and
departing, ignoring shouted
questions from reporters.
In a move not taken by
a governor in more than a
decade, Brown authorized
the Oregon State Police
to locate absent senators
and bring them back to the
Capitol.
Several Republican sena-
Claire Withycombe/Oregon Capital Bureau
Senate President Peter Courtney looks out over empty desks in the Senate on Thursday.
tors said Thursday they had
left the state, placing them
outside the state police juris-
diction, and that their peers
have done likewise.
Brown said Thursday
she’s confi dent in the state
police’s abilities.
“Today, I’m utilizing
established
relationships
to have polite communica-
tion with these senators,”
OSP Superintendent Travis
Hampton wrote in an internal
email to troopers Thursday
afternoon. “While we obvi-
ously have many tools at our
disposal, patience and com-
munication is and always
will be our greatest strategic
asset.”
“Out of state resources”
are assisting the state police ,
according to the agency.
The agency declined to
elaborate further or say how
many state troopers are part
of the effort, but that it has
been in contact with “sev-
eral” of the senators.
“As the superintendent
of the Oregon State Police,
I respect Oregon’s Constitu-
tion, and I am duty-bound to
protect the rights described
in it, just as I am duty-bound
to enforce our laws irrespec-
tive of any personal or polit-
ical beliefs I may have,”
Hampton wrote to his agency
employees. “In this case, we
will work with the governor’s
offi ce and members of the
Legislature to fi nd the most
expeditious way to bring this
matter to a peaceful and con-
structive conclusion.
“With the help of the good
and committed people we
have on our team and both
sides of the Oregon Legis-
lature, I’m confi dent we’ll
get it done. I just want to
ensure you all I am person-
ally engaged in this issue and
confi dent we will do our part
to uphold the best traditions
of the department.”
Senate President Peter
Courtney, D-Salem, asked
Brown to dispatch the state
police after formally sum-
moning all 29 senators for
what is known as a “call of
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the Senate” just after 11 a.m.
Thursday.
Courtney also approved
a motion by Senate Major-
ity Leader Ginny Burdick,
D-Portland, to dock absent
senators $500 for every day
they don’t show up, starting
Friday. Republicans threat-
ened to sue over the fi nes.
“This is the saddest day of
my legislative life,” Court-
ney said. His voice cracked
at times as he implored sen-
ators to return to the Capitol.
“I beg and beseech my
fellow legislators to come
to the fl oor. I need you. The
Legislature needs you. The
people of Oregon need you,”
Courtney pleaded. “If you’re
mad, and you’re angry and
upset, take it out on me. Say
things about me. Come at
me. Don’t do this to the peo-
ple of Oregon. Don’t do this
to this branch. You’re too
good. You’ve been chosen.”
After concluding his
remarks, Courtney sank into
a chair behind the dais and
buried his face in his hands
for several minutes.
Courtney was fi rst elected
to serve as president of
the Senate — then evenly
divided between Democrats
and Republicans — in 2003.
When most of the Senate
Republican caucus skipped
out on a week’s worth of
fl oor sessions in May, play-
ing hardball over a busi-
ness tax proposal, Courtney
declined to fi ne them or ask
the governor to have police
pursue them.
Courtney previously had
then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski
send state troopers to fetch a
Republican senator in 2007
so that Democrats could
approve a tax plan that Sen-
ate Republicans opposed.
That senator, Roger
Beyer, of Molalla, told the
Oregon Capital Bureau he
was preparing to go to Salem
with the state police when the
Democratic leaders called
it off, having secured a 20th
senator for the vote through
negotiations.
Negotiations also put an
end to last month’s walkout,
when Republicans skipped
fl oor sessions for several
days.
Brown stepped in person-
ally to resolve it.
She made an agreement
with Senate Minority Leader
Herman Baertschiger Jr. that
Democrats would drop a gun
control bill, as well as a con-
troversial proposal to end
non medical vaccine exemp-
tions that only one Repub-
lican senator publicly sup-
ported, in exchange for
Republicans returning to
work for the rest of the legis-
lative session.
The Oregon Capital
Bureau confi rmed Thursday
that Democrats, who believe
Republicans reneged on their
earlier deal, are considering
reviving the gun and vaccine
bills.
Republicans say that it
was Democrats who welched
on the accord between
Brown and Baertschiger.
They were promised an
undefi ned “reset” of the cap-
and-trade plan in House Bill
2020, which Republicans
said Thursday never took
place.
“They essentially left us
with no choice but to protest
the breaking of the agree-
ment,” Sen. Tim Knopp,
R-Bend, said.
Asked about the prospect
of Democrats bringing back
the gun and vaccine bills,
Knopp responded, “I think if
they are looking for a solu-
tion, they will not move in
that direction.”
Brown said Wednesday
that if Republicans walked
out again, they would be
going back on their word.
But she dodged a ques-
tion at Thursday’s brief press
conference about whether
she regrets making the May
deal.
“I think it’s critical that
the Oregon Legislature
move forward on legisla-
tion to tackle global climate
change,” Brown said. “Ore-
gon needs to move forward,
and we must do it now.”
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