Group working to get measures on Oregon ballot to prevent lawmaker walkouts

PORTLAND, Ore. — A group is working to get measures on the 2022 ballot that will punish lawmakers who walk out during legislative sessions and use the tactic to shut down the process.

Republicans have walked out of legislative sessions in recent years to deny the state constitutionally mandated quorum that’s required to pass bills and conduct legislative business. Notably, Republicans walked out over the controversial cap-and-trade bill during the 2019 session and again in 2020.

On Thursday, the group No More Costly Walkouts Coalition said it was filing eight more measures for the November 2022 ballot, bringing its total to 10.

The group highlighted two of the measures.

Initiative Petition 14 would disqualify lawmakers from running for reelection if they have 10 unexcused absences from floor sessions. It would amend the state constitution.

Initiative Petition 15 would fine a lawmaker $500 a day for walking out. Lawmakers who walked out would also not receive a salary, per diems or be reimbursed for expenses. They would also not be allowed to raise money to cover the costs of walking out.

The other eight would approve other measures aimed to prevent walkouts like changing quorum requirements during a walkout.

“There must be accountability in Salem for walking off the job or stopping others from doing their jobs,” Andrea Kennedy-Smith, a chief petitioner and child welfare worker, said in a news release. “If I didn’t show up to work or if I made it impossible for other people to do their jobs, I would lose my job.”

During the 2019 walkout, Republican senators didn’t return to the Capitol until after Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat, announced there wasn’t enough support among Democrats for the cap-and-trade bill.

In 2020, Democrats, who control both the House and the Senate, ended the short, 35-day, session early because of the Republican walkout in both chambers over that year’s cap-and-trade bill.

And earlier this year, Republican senators didn’t show up for a day to protest COVID-19 restrictions. Republicans have also engaged in other tactics to slow down the process, including forcing each bill to be read in its entirety before a vote.

Republicans say during the current state of emergency, if they walked out, Gov. Kate Brown could call a special session with no quorum rules, allowing Democrats to pass whatever they want. And under current House rules, lawmakers could be fined $500 for each day they walked out.

Democrats have also used the tactic of walking out to stall or protest the legislative process. In 2001, Democrats in the House walked out to protest the Republican's effort to redraw the state's legislative districts. At the time, Republicans controlled the House.

No More Costly Walkouts said it was filing sponsorship signatures for IP 14 and 15 on Thursday.

All the measures will need to go through the ballot titling and signature-gathering processes before appearing on the ballot.

The coalition is made up of groups that include Fair Shot Oregon, Forward Together Action, Next Up Action Fund, Oregon Education Association, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon Wild, Our Oregon, Planned Parenthood Action PAC of Oregon and SEIU.