Current:Home > FinancePoinbank Exchange|Oregon Republican senators sue to run for reelection, saying walkout rule shouldn’t stop them -Golden Summit Finance
Poinbank Exchange|Oregon Republican senators sue to run for reelection, saying walkout rule shouldn’t stop them
Burley Garcia View
Date:2025-04-11 02:45:41
SALEM,Poinbank Exchange Ore. (AP) — Five Republican state senators in Oregon are suing to be allowed to run for reelection next year even though they accumulated a large number of unexcused absences during a walkout aimed at blocking votes on abortion rights and gun safety.
Oregon voters passed a constitutional amendment last year that says any lawmaker who accrues 10 or more unexcused absences during a legislative session is blocked from seeking reelection, after Republicans used the tactic repeatedly in previous years.
But the senators say a vagary in the way the law is written means they can seek another term, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
The amendment says a lawmaker is not allowed to run “for the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.” Since a senator’s term ends in January while elections are held in November, they argue the penalty doesn’t take effect immediately, but instead, after they’ve served another term.
Senate Republican Minority Leader Tim Knopp and four other senators filed the lawsuit on Friday against Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. The other four are Sens. Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Lynn Findley and Dennis Linthicum.
The lawmakers hope to convince the Oregon Court of Appeals that voters were misled about the language in Measure 113 when they passed the law.
Ten conservative state senators racked up enough unexcused absences to violate Measure 113 during a six-week walkout earlier this year.
The boycott raised doubts about whether the Legislature would be able to pass a new budget. But lawmakers reached a deal which brought Republicans back to the Capitol in exchange for Democratic concessions on measures covering abortion, transgender health care and gun rights.
The walkout was the longest in state history and the second-longest in the United States.
Griffin-Valade’s office didn’t immediately return an email message seeking comment on Saturday.
Earlier this month, Griffin-Valade, who is the state elections chief, issued a news release saying the 10 state senators can’t run for reelection in 2024. She made the announcement to clear up confusion over how reelection rules would affect the senators.
veryGood! (36)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Voters deciding dozens of ballot measures affecting life, death, taxes and more
- Nancy Mace tries to cement her hold on her US House seat in South Carolina
- The GOP expects to keep Kansas’ open House seat. Democratic Rep. Davids looks tough to beat
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Tropical Storm Rafael to become hurricane before landfall in Cuba. Is US at risk?
- Florida ballot measures would legalize marijuana and protect abortion rights
- Gerrit Cole, Yankees call each others' bluffs in opt-out saga: 'Grass isn’t always greener'
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Investigation into Ford engine failures ends after more than 2 years; warranties extended
Ranking
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Taylor Swift's Brother Austin Swift Stops Fan From Being Kicked Out of Eras Tour
- 'Yellowstone' star Luke Grimes on adapting to country culture
- Kentucky voters to decide fate of school choice ballot measure
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Georgia Democratic prosecutor pursuing election case against Trump faces Republican challenger
- Investigation into Ford engine failures ends after more than 2 years; warranties extended
- Is oat milk good for you? Here's how it compares to regular milk.
Recommendation
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
North Dakota’s lone congressman seeks to continue GOP’s decades-old grip on the governor’s post
Jayden Maiava to start over Miller Moss in USC's next game against Nebraska, per reports
Pregnant Gisele Bündchen and Boyfriend Joaquim Valente Bond With Her Kids in Miami
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
High winds – up to 80 mph – may bring critical fire risk to California
How to watch Jon Stewart's 'Election Night' special on 'The Daily Show'
First-term Democrat tries to hold on in Washington state district won by Trump in 2020