Oregon Governor Kate Brown criticized Republicans following the adjournment of the Oregon State Legislature from the 2020 short session.
Brown said she was “saddened and shocked” when GOP lawmakers “chose to walk out on their jobs in order to block their remaining colleagues from completing the people’s work”. Brown said the move put “critical state funding in jeopardy – for wildfires, for foster care, for flood relief from Pendleton”.
Brown said the walkout “has badly damaged the legislative branch”.
In the strongly worded statement, Brown said the GOP legislators “have spent the last ten days on a taxpayer-funded vacation running down the clock”. She said “now as they continue to stall on doing their jobs, they say they are willing to come back at the eleventh hour for votes on select items they have picked”.
Brown said “every time they don’t like something, they just get up and leave”. She said the walkout held “Oregonians hostage to ultimatums and political posturing”.
Brown said a legislative solution was always her preferred path to tackle the impacts of climate change. She said she will not back down on the issue and will take executive action in the coming days to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Democratic leaders brought the session to an abrupt close Thursday afternoon, following an offer by Republican leaders in both chambers to return on Sunday to pass emergency budget bills. The short session was mandated by the Oregon constitution to end by Sunday, after its 35th day.