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Posted on 02/01/2024 11:52:08 PM PST by Morgana
Last year, Oregon Senate Republicans undertook a historic walk-out to stop two radical pro-abortion bills, including one that would have stripped parents of their right to be involved in their children’s abortion decisions.
Republican lawmakers blocked the Democrat-controlled Senate from passing legislation because of House Bill 2002, a radical pro-abortion bill that would allow girls as young as 10 to have abortions – or be coerced by an abuser – without their parents’ knowledge.
Republican and independent lawmakers denied a quorum in the Oregon Senate and blocked action on the pro-abortion bill and other legislation. Senate rules require two thirds of lawmakers to be present to vote on legislation.
Republicans eventually reached a decision to support the bill after changes were made to it. The agreement also stopped a second bill which would have amended the state constitution to create a “right” to unrestricted abortion on demand.
But today, a court has ruled lockout participants can’t run for re-election.
A new state constitutional amendment imposes financial penalties on lawmakers for walking out and denying a quorum. It also prohibits lawmakers from running for re-election if they have at least 10 unexcused absences.
The lawmakers challenged this, to no avail. Today, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that 10 Republican state senators are ineligible to run for reelection after they participated in the walkout.
The high court decided in favor of Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who had disqualified the senators from running for office again after voters approved a measure in 2022 to amend the state constitution to ban lawmakers with more than 10 unexcused absences from running again.
Five of the 10 Republican state senators, Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findley, had filed a lawsuit against the secretary of state over the decision.
Lois Anderson, Executive Director of Oregon Right to Life, expressed her deep disappointment with the court ruling, stating, “I am saddened by the court’s decision. These senators were elected by their constituents to faithfully serve their districts and protect the rights and lives of their constituents. They fulfilled their duty with unwavering dedication.”
Due to the court’s ruling, ten senators will be disqualified from running in upcoming elections, with six affected in 2024 and four in 2026. Anderson states, “I applaud the tireless commitment and sacrifices made by these senators. Their unwavering dedication to serving both their constituents, born and unborn, will forever be remembered.”
Previously, the state’s leading pro-life group praised the legislators.
“Because pro-life senators walked out, courageously putting their political careers on the line, HB 2002 was reined in,” Oregon Right to Life executive director Lois Anderson responded this week. “Though the amendments do not resolve all our concerns, the changes to HB 2002 retain protections for parents and children, born and unborn, that would have been removed.”
Anderson said the compromise eliminated significant provisions in House Bill 2002, including the withholding of information from parents about their young daughters’ abortions and the repeal of the crime of “concealing the death of an infant.”
Oregon has very few restrictions on abortion, and its governor has been working with leaders in Washington and California to expand elective abortions even more, including by devoting millions of taxpayer dollars to destroying unborn babies’ lives. Last year, the state legislature approved $15 million to pay for women in and out of state to travel for abortions and increase the number of abortion facilities in the state.
Soon our elections will become like those in places like North Korea and Cuba with only a single preselected candidates who will garner 99% of the votes.
If you would like more information about what’s happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me. Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list.
Contrary to the article, they also walked out to prevent passage of a bill that would have the state paying for all youth transgender surgeries. And it would have criminalized any actions to prevent such surgeries. They also walked out to prevent a horrendous gun control bill.
I suggest those R’s in the Senate run for House positions, and R’s in the House run for Senate positions.
“So, the solution is to shoot the judge.”
The VOTERS amended their state Constitution to stop legislators from walking out. Maybe the voters all need to be shot?
I am telling everybody that Oregon is a captured state as is Washington and even my midsized town is captured...it’s a total fraud,
“A captured state”
Captured is a very nice way of saying Stalinist.
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