Talks aimed at ending an ongoing walkout in the Oregon Senate have broken down. Again.
Gov. Tina Kotek said Wednesday that after working in 鈥済ood faith鈥� with the leader of the boycotting Senate Republicans for the past week, the two sides have reached an impasse over the same bill that drove the walkout in the first place 鈥� to expand protections for abortions and transgender care.
鈥淚鈥檓 very disappointed with where we are,鈥� Kotek said in an interview. 鈥淲e are at an impasse with one month left.鈥�
The governor鈥檚 conclusion raises serious questions about whether or not the 2023 session is doomed. Talks between legislative leaders held earlier this month broke down, with conservative lawmakers insisting they wanted the abortion bill, House Bill 2002, dead, among other things. Democrats have been adamant that they will not touch the bill, which already passed the House.
鈥淎t the end of the day yesterday, [Senate Republican Leader Tim] Knopp was: 鈥榃ell, we appreciate the effort, but if we don鈥檛 see 2002 amended or killed, we鈥檙e done talking,鈥欌�� Kotek said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 where we are.鈥�
The development comes exactly four weeks after Republicans began a walkout that brought the Senate to a screeching halt. Without 20 lawmakers present, the chamber cannot pass bills. Democrats hold only 17 of 30 Senate seats.
While such boycotts have been used by both parties over the years, Kotek believes this is the longest legislative walkout in Oregon鈥檚 history. The maneuver is also of a new voter-approved law that could end the political careers of absent lawmakers.
Kotek got involved in the Senate standoff, after talks between Knopp and Senate President Rob Wagner proved fruitless. She met with Knopp, the Senate Republican leader, five times.
The governor told OPB she started with a two-prong approach: Listening to Republican concerns, but also with a firm commitment to leave House Bill 2002 intact. From there, she says, she started building a list of bills Republicans viewed as priorities along with process changes the GOP hopes to see.
Knopp and other Republicans have been adamant this year that Democrats are using their majorities in both chambers to subvert appropriate legislative process, something Democrats say is laughable.
鈥淭hey started off with a very long list of complaints, concerns, recommendations on how to change process on the Senate side,鈥� Kotek said. 鈥淚 went through that list with the presiding officers.鈥�
Kotek did not cite specific bills she had talked about pushing toward passage alongside Republican lawmakers. Senate GOP members floated a list of dozens of priority bills at the .
HB 2002, the measure at the heart of the walkout, aims to protect health care providers who give abortions and requires insurance to cover gender-affirming care for people who are transgender or nonbinary.
One of the sticking points for Republicans is that the bill allows for minors younger than the age of 15 to have an abortion without their parent鈥檚 consent. Data from 2021 suggest very few minors under the age of 15 have an abortion. In 2021, there were 14 such cases across the state.
鈥淟et鈥檚 remember what鈥檚 happening in this situation for these young children who are pregnant,鈥� Kotek said. 鈥淭hey have been abused, they have been raped, most often by a family member. These are very tragic situations. I鈥檓 not willing to say to a child, you can鈥檛 access healthcare because you鈥檙e not going to get parental consent.鈥�
Senate Republicans have promised to return on June 25, the day before the session is scheduled to adjourn, to pass a new two-year state budget and other bipartisan bills.
The governor dismissed that proposal, which would effectively give Republicans veto power over remaining legislation.
鈥淭hat work cannot get done on the last day of session,鈥� the governor said, saying she鈥檚 handing the negotiations back to legislative leaders.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to have conversations just to have conversations,鈥� Kotek said.
Whether or not lawmakers can sort out the standoff themselves is unclear. In recent days, some House Republicans have taken to talking with their senate counterparts to encourage some sort of deal.
Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, has been impressing on Senate Republicans how many bills would wither on the legislative vines if the walkout continues.
鈥淭he good [legislation] outweighs the bad,鈥� Mannix said Tuesday, noting that he adamantly opposed HB 2002 when it passed in the House.
And state Rep. Greg Smith, a Heppner Republican and one of the Legislature鈥檚 longest-tenured members, has been talking to leaders in both parties, he said, trying to find areas of common ground.
鈥淓ffectively both sides have jumped off a cliff,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in free fall. So the trick is trying to determine how we create a soft landing.鈥�
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