Oregon Republicans walk out over climate change bill. Again.
This is the second time G.O.P. senators have denied the chance to pass the bill aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Oregon Republicans walked out of the state’s capital Monday morning in protest of a climate change bill that would cap Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions.
This is the second time in eight months Republicans have walked out of the Salem statehouse to deny the Democratic majority the chance to pass the bill. Members of the minority party escaped to Idaho in June to avoid voting on an earlier version of the bill, resulting in Oregon Governor Kate Brown ordering law enforcement to retrieve the fleeing lawmakers and accusing senate Republicans of neglecting their democratically-elected positions amid what otherwise would have been a landmark vote in combating climate change.
On Monday, however, almost a dozen Republicans refused to attend the floor session, leaving Oregon’s Senate with 19 members on the floor. Although technically one member short of the quorum needed to vote, Senate President Peter Courtney claimed the Democratic majority had enough votes to pass the bill through the chamber.
Two-thirds of the senators have to be present before any voting can take place, as required by Oregon’s constitution. Democrats currently hold the majority in all three branches of the state’s government, so the 18 Democrats in the 30-member-senate only needed two Republicans for a quorum. The absence of the 11 G.O.P. lawmakers forced Democrats to adjourn for the day.
The fraught bill would focus on industries that are intense contributors of greenhouse gases, such as electric utilities, fossil fuel companies and industrial manufacturers. These businesses would be required to purchase pollution credits in which the state would decrease availability over time, essentially lowering the level of emissions allowed by each sector.
Although placing a price on carbon emissions could play a pivotal role in fighting climate change, voters and businesses in Oregon’s rural areas are angered by the potential cost of the plan.
According to a statement by Senate Republican leader Herman Baertschiger Jr., Democrats refused to work with the opposing party and voted down all of their proposed bill amendments, leaving Republicans “no other option but to boycott and deny quorum.” Baertschiger considers the bill as a “gas tax disguised as an environmental bill.”
Tensions between Oregon Democrats and Republicans arguably reflect the political divide seen at the federal level, as constituents from urban-liberal areas, such a Portland, contrast the libertarian and republican sentiments from the rural parts of the state.
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