On Thursday, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that ten Republican state senators who took part in a record-breaking boycott last summer in order to obstruct bills that would have expanded access to medical intervention, transgender treatment, and abortion for minors, as well as a separate measure regarding ghost guns, would not be eligible to run for office again this year.
According to the Oregon Senate Republican Caucus, the “Democrat-stacked supreme court sides with Democrats and union cronies on Measure 113 despite plain language of Constitution.” Ten Republican senators, or one-third of the Oregon Senate, will essentially no longer serve in office as a result of the state high court’s ruling, the caucus emphasized.
The decision supports the declaration made by Democratic Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade last August to remove the 10 lawmakers from the ballot as part of a bill meant to prevent such boycotts. Voters approved Measure 113 in 2022, amending the state constitution to prevent legislators from being re-elected if they have more than ten unexcused absences from office.
The boycott from the previous year delayed hundreds of measures and lasted for six weeks, the longest in state history. The secretary of state’s decision prompted a lawsuit from five senators: Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum, and Lynn Findley. They were one of the ten senators from the GOP who missed more than ten votes.
