Oregon Democrats try to make Republicans pay up for skipping legislative sessions

Oregon’s Democratic state lawmakers are tired of their Republican colleagues walking out on them over a controversial environmental bill.

But since they can’t legally block them from evading votes, the Democrats are introducing a measure that would require them to pay fines or expenses for unexcused absences out of their own pocket rather than using campaign funds.

Of course, because Republicans aren’t present for any votes, that means the measure’s chances for passage, even in a Democratically controlled legislature, are slim.

“This is something Democrats take issue with. Currently, Republicans are receiving their salary, benefits, and per diem (money meant to be used to fund travel to the State Capitol) while they are off the job,” Amanda Kraus, a spokeswoman for the Senate Democrats, told CNN in an email. She said violators would be referred to the state’s secretary of state, who would investigate whether any laws were broken.

The amendment, attached to a campaign finance bill, would look to specifically address legislators’ current ability to use their campaign money to pay for their hotel costs and travel during an unexcused absence from work.

On Monday, 11 Senate Republicans walked out in a bid to stop the passage of a cap-and-trade bill, leaving the legislative body one member short of quorum. Republican House members have also joined the boycott in solidarity with their party members.

Republicans are said to be out of the state and boycotting the rest of the session, according to Senate Republican spokeswoman Kate Gillem.

She was unable to provide details on the exact location of the missing lawmakers, though she noted “they aren’t home.”

Republicans used a similar tactic to stall the environmental bill last year, leading Democrats to threaten fines of $500 a day for the absences, though they were never formally levied.

“It is sad that this bill is necessary, but the Senate Republicans have refused to show up for work three times in the last 10 months,” Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Committee on Rules, said in a press release.

But Gillem, the Senate Republican spokeswoman, argued that the Republican lawmakers aren’t inappropriately using their funds.

“Senate Republicans have not and are not using campaign funds to pay for expenses incurred during the boycott,” Gillem said.

Republicans claim that the climate bill being pushed by Democrats is set to hurt 2 million people across 26 counties in the state as it looks to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the cost of taxpayers.

Some southern Oregon counties have already started passing resolutions opposing the bill, claiming the measure has the potential to increase utility and fuel costs and place additional tax burdens on local residents.

The bill would put limits on emissions, and then would provide a mechanism for utilities to buy and sell “allowances” on emissions. The passage and signing of the climate measure would have Oregon join nearly a dozen states that use market-based approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill regarding absence expenses will be added to the list of those which are ready for consideration by the full Senate “if enough Republicans return from their taxpayer-paid vacations to provide a quorum,” Burdick said.