By Taxpayers Association of Oregon / OregonWatchdog.com
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All of the Republican State Senators walked out of the State Capitol over the gas tax election swap bill which changes the election date of the gas tax from the November General election to the May Primary where voter turn-out can be half as much. The exit stopped the Senate from operating without a quorum.
OPB reports the deeper story,“Republicans are adamantly opposed to moving that vote from the November general election to the May primary. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, and House Minority Leader Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, sent a letter to Secretary of State Tobias Read that suggested such a move would be illegal. “You, as the Secretary of State entrusted by the people of Oregon with the integrity of elections, have a choice: comply with the letter and spirit of the law … or join the blatant partisanship and violation of law embodied in Senate Bill 1599,” that letter read. Starr, who remained in the Capitol on Wednesday despite being absent from the Senate chamber, told OPB his members are waiting for a response.“We’re looking for an answer from them, and at that point we’ll have the opportunity to have further conversation,” Starr said. “This is not unusual. The minority is hitting a pause button so we can have conversations with the majority.”
Following the Senate Republican walk-out a large number of House Republican lawmakers walked out. Their exodus was not large enough to stem a stop in business.