Oregon Senate walkout highlights unusual stalling tactics
By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press
Oregon lawmakers are on a walkout — again. The state’s Democratic-led Senate has been unable to conduct business for two days because some Republicans skipped the session. It’s a delay tactic that’s possible in only a few other states that require a two-thirds quorum for action instead of a simple majority. Similar walkouts have been staged in past years by Democrats in Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin over opposition to bills on elections and labor unions. In each of those cases, Republicans eventually passed the bills. In Oregon, Republicans are upset about Democratic bills on gun control and abortion rights.
