In Oregon, Democrats seek to end GOP boycotts of Legislature

[marble falls]

In Oregon, Democrats seek to end GOP boycotts of Legislature

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press Mar 19, 2021 Updated 16 hrs ago

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/in-oregon-democrats-seek-to-end-gop-boycotts-of-legislature/article_1ce1e1c5-dedd-5161-a927-33df5f8f640a.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next

In Oregon, Democrats seek to end GOP boycotts of Legislature


SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Walkouts by Republicans in Oregon's Legislature have become so frequent, with GOP lawmakers torpedoing progressive legislation, that Democrats want to sanction boycotters with $500 daily fines and even disqualify them from holding office.

The issue has become acrimonious, with Democrats saying the boycotts harm the democratic functioning of the state. Oregon is particularly vulnerable to boycotts because, while 46 of the other statehouses in America require only a simple majority for a quorum, the northwestern state requires two-thirds of lawmakers to be present.

Democrats have most of the seats in the Oregon Legislature, but lack the two-thirds majority to conduct business if Republicans stay away.

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This is the third straight year in which Republicans have used walkouts. They have also sometimes insisted that bills be read in full, causing bills to stack up after they leave committees, and delaying floor votes on them.

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[CurtEastPoint]

1. everything they do reeks of meanness, petulance and general assholery.

[marble falls]

2. Asolutely. REEKS.

[FreepFryer]

3. Referendum to amend the state constitution ?

The Oregon Constitution lays out four different paths, in two different articles, for how to go about changing the state's constitution.

The Oregon Constitution is explicit—unlike virtually any other state constitution—on the process for a constitutional revision, which is established in Section 2 of Article XVII.

Section 1, Article IV, says that the people of the state can use an initiated constitutional amendment to put an amendment before voters.

An initiated amendment must be proposed "by a petition signed by a number of qualified voters equal to eight percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor at the election at which a Governor was elected for a term of four years next preceding the filing of the petition."

The petition must include the full text of the proposed amendment.

The signatures must be filed "not less than four months before the election at which the proposed...amendment to the Constitution is to be voted upon."

Article IV contains several restrictions on the initiative process such as Section 1b, which prohibits pay-per-signature.

Section 1 of Article XVIII creates the procedures by which the Oregon State Legislature can use a legislatively referred constitutional amendment to put an amendment before voters.
Amendments can be proposed in either house of the state legislature.

To earn a spot on the ballot, a "majority of all the members elected to each of the two houses" must vote in favor of a proposed amendment.

The Legislature can put any such referred amendments on a special election ballot.
If more than one amendment is proposed by the legislature, they must be voted on separately.
Section 1 of Article XVIII also states that a constitutional convention can only be held if "the law providing for such convention shall first be approved by the people on a referendum vote at a regular general election."

The constitution does not define how such a referendum is to be put before voters.

Possible ways might include a citizen-initiated question or a vote of the legislature.

https://ballotpedia.org/Amending_state_constitutions#Oregon

[marble falls]

4. If the voters pass it, it still has to go through the legislature. An effort on the level of GA ...

... electing two Democrats to the Senate is needed. The voters need to vote out some more Republicans.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Republicans doing what they do best.

Nothing.