Posted on 06/22/2019 1:02:06 PM PDT by NoLibZone
Originally Posted on reaganknopp.net
In 2001, the Oregon State Legislature was controlled by Republicans. Specifically, the House had 32 Republicans, 27 Democrats, and 1 Independent. The sitting governor was none other than the infamous John Kitzhaber, who was part way through his second term after being re-elected in 1998. It was late June, and the legislature was in the middle of redistricting; A process when the legislature redraws district lines every ten years to realign the districts with population based on numbers from the Federal census.
House Republicans and Gov. Kitzhaber were unable to agree on how to draw district lines and time was running out. Kitzhaber threatened to veto any Republican map he didnt like. The Oregon Constitution mandated that if lines were not drawn by June 30 of a redistricting year, the Secretary of State is then given authority to draw the maps (See Article IV of the Oregon Constitution). Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a Democrat, was ready, willing, and able to draw a map that Republicans hated. The GOP decided to make a long shot attempt in to enact a Republican plan. Instead of passing redistricting through a House or Senate bill that must be signed by the governor, they wrote a Joint Resolution to enact redistricting. A House (or Senate) Joint Resolution only requires the approval of both the House and Senate to be valid (both were under Republican control in 2001). Democrats threatened to go to court, but Republicans were out of options.
Enter Oregon House Democrat who in protest of the Republican maneuver they considered to be illegalleft the Capitol and returned to their districts. They were absent a total of five days before they returned and eventually voted on a GOP redistricting plan. Eventually, Bradbury got to draw the maps. The rest is interesting, but not particularly relevant to the current topic.
It is important to note that several recent Democratic lawmakers participated in or supported the same 2001 quorum denial strategy now being employed by Senate Republicans. They are:
Senate Minority Leader Kate Brown (current governor) Representative Phil Barnhart (former State Representative) Representative Alan Bates (former State Senator) Representative Richard Devlin (former State Senator) Representative Mark Hass (current State Senator) Representative Laurie Monnes Anderson (current State Senator) Representative Diane Rosenbaum (former State Senator)
Here are two significant quotes Democrats provided to the press in 2001:
Senate Democratic Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, called the House Democrats actions very appropriate under the circumstances.
Under certain circumstances, its fair to say we would use all tools available to us, and stage a similar boycott, she said. AP, June 25, 2001
The stalemate, he said is a little frustrating for me and isnt what I signed up for. But he added that the Democratic walkout made a point about preserving the minoritys voting rights, which Democrats think may be compromised by the Republican redistricting plan.
I dont think, Hass said, standing up for fairness and protecting the constitution is something we need to hide from. Rep. Mark Hass to The Oregonian, June 28, 2001
The history is clear: a number of current Senate Democrats, and Oregons current governor, either participated in or supported denial of a quorum in 2001. Whatever you think about the maneuver, in Oregon its a bipartisan one.
Sometimes the lack quorum is the only weapon left to a minority point of view, and while it may not always be used in the wisest of causes, it is a method to stop the majority from steamrolling the minority and force a better solution that protects the wishes/rights of the minority.
Remember the Wisconsin walk outs by Dems?
They were hiding in Rockford IL.
Remember the Wisconsin walk outs by Dems?
I do and we ridiculed them for doing it. So now its the Rats turn. The difference is our side wont invade the capital building and start beating on drums like lunatics.
The bottom line here is this:
If Democrats do it, it’s ok.
If Republicans do it, it’s illegal and the end of the world as we know it.
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