Republican senators sue Oregon secretary of state over reelection bids

[RandySF]

Republican state senators who walked away from this year’s Oregon legislative session to block votes on abortion rights and gun safety say they should be allowed to run for reelection next year, regardless of a voter-approved law aimed at ending their legislative careers.

Now they’re suing for that right.

In a case with weighty implications for the legislative process in Salem, five Republican senators filed suit Friday against Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. They are Sens. Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Lynn Findley and Dennis Linthicum.

The Republican lawmakers are hoping to convince the Oregon Court of Appeals that voters were misled last November when they passed Measure 113, a law designed to end walkouts that Republicans have used repeatedly in recent years to halt business at the Capitol.

Under Measure 113, any lawmaker who accrues 10 or more unexcused absences during a legislative session is blocked from seeking reelection. The question posed by the lawsuit is when.

In explanatory statements, news stories and other documents, the intent of Measure 113 was clear: Lawmakers would be barred immediately from running again.




https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/08/25/republican-senators-sue-oregon-secretary-of-state-over-reelection-bids/

[Zambero]

1. Damn the will of those voters, say the Dear Legislators

They must have been horribly misled and certainly did not expect us to be held accountable for our actions.

[gratuitous]

2. What do you expect from Oregon Republicans? A platform or something? Hah!

These gibroneys knew the rules going in, but were so committed to reducing women to second class citizen status, that they decided to flout the rules and paralyze the legislative session. Now they want to avoid the consequences of their deliberate actions.

And before the inevitable arrival of the "both sides" contingent, yes, Oregon Democrats staged a walkout in 2001. The issue then was the Republican attempt to pass a redistricting plan by resolution rather than as a bill subject to veto by the Democratic governor John Kitzhaber. The Democrats walked out to protect the processes of democracy and the integrity of the elections system, not to deny women the right to make their own health care decisions. There's a qualitative and quantitative difference between those issues.

Since that 2001 walkout by the Democrats, Republicans have walked out seven times, denying the legislature a quorum to conduct business.

[Enoki33]

3. Thanks for background info.