Oregon state Senate President Peter Courtney (D) announced on Tuesday that the climate change bill at the heart of GOP state senators’ walkout won’t pass.
“House Bill 2020 does not have the votes on the Senate floor,” Courtney said during the Senate’s morning session. “That will not change.”
Sen. President Peter Courtney to Republicans: We do not have the votes for the cap-and-trade bill. #orleg #orpol pic.twitter.com/o32P9qW5nY
— Lauren Dake (@LaurenDake) June 25, 2019
Courtney asserted that he was making the announcement of his “own free will.”
The move signals an end to Oregon Democrats’ standoff with Republican senators, who ran out of the state last week to avoid voting on a sweeping cap-and-trade bill aimed at dramatically reducing carbon emissions. Gov. Kate Brown (D) sent the state police after them, and right-wing militias swore to protect the Republicans.
The scuffle reached the point where Democratic senators had to cancel a Saturday session after receiving a “credible threat” that the militias would show up at the capitol building (no militias ultimately showed up).
That’s gonna make a helluva campaign poster for Oregon Dem’s running in 2020.
As soon as they return, whip that bill right out for a vote.
And this summer’s fire season is about to begin. The last two have had brutal air quality throughout most of Oregon. And China quality visibility.
But according to the Republicans, doing something about all that would be too much.
There’s got to be an app for that. All aside, this is no way to govern.
I know it’s short of the usual 7 years but if a court declares them dead, can the governor appoint replacements?