It's 10:15 p.m., where's your legislator?
Kari Chisholm
Good question.
Here's your answer: If your legislator is a Democrat, he or she is on the House floor - ready to keep working to finish the agenda of the day. If your legislator is a Republican, he or she is likely running to the garage, attempting to flee the building.
What's going on? At roughly 9:30 tonight, Rep. Wayne Scott asked for a one-hour party caucus. After some 45 minutes, it seems, that the House Republicans ended their meeting and are running for the exits - rather than coming back to work on the House floor.
Why is the Lege running so late tonight? With just four days to go until the scheduled sine die, it seems that the House Republicans are committed to screwing around and playing parliamentary games. For hours on end today, they tried various idiocies - motions to pull bills from committee, motions to override parliamentary decisions, and more.
Their goal? To deny the Democrats a clean, orderly, and on-time finish to the session. Of course, it's worth noting that if the session runs long, it'll be the Republicans who look childish - especially when voters note how much extra money their shenanigans cost taxpayers.
What's next? First, there will be a "call of the house" when all legislators are required to come back. Then, when they don't, the Sergeant-at-Arms will go looking for them in the Capitol building.
And the last option? The Speaker of the House, Jeff Merkley, can ask the Governor to send the state troopers to bring them back to the Capitol. No word yet if that's in the cards for tonight.
Personal to Wayne Scott: Listen, buddy, get over it. Y'all lost the election. Wouldn't you rather end your final session in service to the voters and the taxpayers that sent you here - rather than playing childish games? Have some statesmanship.
Anyway, I'll post an update once we hear what happens.
Update: Here's a photo of Rep. Dennis Richardson fleeing the Capitol.
Update: Well, well, well... about 10 minutes after this post went up, the GOP legislators came back to the building. I'm not under any illusions that they're reading BlueOregon this late at night, since they're still screwing around... lots of late-night delaying motions and silliness. I'll keep ya posted.
Update: And at 11:40 p.m., the House finally adjourned.
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11:13 p.m.
Jun 25, '07
The Republicans did in fact show up at around 10:30 PM tonight. However, the parliamentary manuevers to which Kari alluded have not ceased.
The pattern is as follows:
GOP Legislator will speak for 2 to 3 turns (another GOP rep. will yield to allow the speaking rep. to go over the 5 minute limit);
repeat;
the bill passes;
Rep. Dennis Richardson moves to withdraw a dead bill from a committee (presumably for direct mail hit pieces, as was done with two illegal immigration bills);
Debate;
Call of the House by Rep. Richardson;
Rep. Gene Whisnant requests an oral roll call vote, which means instead of electronic voting, the clerk calls the name of all 60 representatives and they must respond inidivudally with their vote;
Repeat.
Take comfort, though, as the House Dems only have a few more bills to pass before ajdournment sine die.
11:20 p.m.
Jun 25, '07
Oh, and I nearly forgot:
Catch all the late-night sine die Oregon Legislative action on your Oregon Channel, either on channel 311 Comcast or Real Player streaming video.
If you tune in right now, you won't miss Rep. Jerry Krummel's now twenty-minute speech on manufactured housing tenant law. It beats the heck outta Leno.
7:44 a.m.
Jun 26, '07
"We are trying to change the tones in the state capitals -- and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship." -- Grover Norquist, 2003 A Ha! the Norquist Agenda
Jun 26, '07
R's acting like spoiled 6-year olds. It is an insult to call them adults. How can any human even love and/or respect them?
Either that or they are so bored that they need something to do to fit their inherent mean and self centered personalities.
8:20 a.m.
Jun 26, '07
Yup, it's been suggested that this is what happens when bored meets mean.
Jun 26, '07
Who's playing the games Kari??
The Democrats had a staffer posted to nab pictures of Republicans in the parking garage?
Majority Office staffers were parked right outside the Republican caucus room spying and stirring up reporters with false tales of a dramatic walkout?
Is this really how a Majority party behaves?
Take a hard look in the mirror, because Speaker Minnis was never THIS petty. Hunt and Merkley ought to be embarrassed by this ridiculous conduct on the part of their staffers.
They're supposed to be running a legislative body, not a carnival designed to produce material for Blue Oregon.
9:19 a.m.
Jun 26, '07
Almost, but I believe this is what happens when boring meets mean.
Jun 26, '07
As a courtesy to those busy Blue Oregon readers without the time to read this insightful, informative, unbiased post in its entirety, here is the condensed version:
Democrats GOOD! Republicans BAD!
Stay tuned for more.
Jun 26, '07
Republicons make a late-night beer run?
Jun 26, '07
whatajoke - if the shoe fits...
9:56 a.m.
Jun 26, '07
Majority Office staffers were parked right outside the Republican caucus room spying and stirring up reporters with false tales of a dramatic walkout?
Um, "false"? I'm pretty sure that's Dennis Richardson sitting in his car. Or are we to believe that he's in on the great left-wing conspiracy too?
Jun 26, '07
Why would BlueOregon be unbiased? Clearly this is a blog generally geared toward Democrats and Progressives.
At no point does Kari advertise this site as news- unlike the average GOP fair and balanced source of opinion.
If looking at issues from a Progressive point of view really bothers you, why are you here Buckman Res? Do you think I will read your dipstick post and change my party registration?
Maybe it is good you are here keeping busy writing snarky notes on a D blog- maybe it will distract you from other trouble you could get into.
These GOP guys will do anything to protect their financial interests ( yep, I said it ) and this is clear and pointless partisanship. I can't wait to get my next delusional bulk mailer from these jokers.
Jun 26, '07
I hear those bulk mailers are great for reading and other things in the bathroom. They are quite absorbant.
Jun 26, '07
Bah humbug, Speaker Minnis was plenty petty!
Jun 26, '07
Let's not forget Wayne Scott's move on HB 2575 yesterday. It went like this: -Debate on HB 2575 -R (forget who) stands up to challenge the ruling that the one cent payroll deduction is a fee increase (which needs 31 votes to pass), not a tax (which needs 36).
-Speaker Merkley contacts Legislative Counsel (the lawyers) to clarify the situation. LC responds via email that the deduction is a fee increase and only needs 31 votes. -Merkley reads the email into the record. -Wayne Scott challenges the authenticity of the document.
That's right. Wayne Scott's reaction was to accuse Merkley, the Democrats, and Legislative Counsel of forging a ruling just because it went against him.
Jun 26, '07
"False"???
Kari, if you had been in the Capitol last night, you would have seen the Hunt staffers on the couches sitting outside the R caucus room with a gaggle of reporters that they duped into coming back to the building late at night with the "story" of a Republican walkout. Then they sent another staffer at the garage to snap photos.
Real great use of taxpayer-paid staff salaries.
Jun 26, '07
With the quality of the proposed Democrat legislation, I would run and hide also. Family leave? Please.
7:36 p.m.
Jun 26, '07
With the quality of the proposed Democrat legislation, I would run and hide also. Family leave? Please.
Family leave is a huge issue. This is one of many areas we fall way behind in compared to other industrialized nations. It's about time we did this. Since it's not happening at the federal level, I'm glad to see it happen at the state level.
When I had my c-section, I was back to work within a few days. Why? I couldn't afford not to. My husband took almost 2 weeks off, which was all the sick/vacation time had had available. Thanks to my pregnancy and a few visits to the ER and such, he'd already used up most of his sick days (which he never usually uses).
<hr/>They've been playing these games for the past few weeks, trying to stall whenever possible to push everything back. I expect to see it get worse as the week goes by.
Jun 26, '07
On the same subject, why is Senator Rod Monroe's office completely vacant already? Did he resign or something?
Jun 26, '07
Real great use of taxpayer-paid staff salaries.
Puh-lease...
As if 1) they're earning overtime 2) it's their fault that the Republicans are using delay tactics (talk about taxpayers' money).
9:21 p.m.
Jun 26, '07
Ellie--
Right.
And that brings me to something people should remember - if the House Republicans are able to stall enough and sine die happens later than planned, it's going to cost the taxpayers money.
Jun 26, '07
If looking at issues from a Progressive point of view really bothers you, why are you here Buckman Res?
Wow, lighten up pal! You wonks take this stuff way too seriously. It’s just politics!
Read the manifesto, this is “a place for progressive Oregonians to gather 'round the water cooler” which includes having some fun at the expense of you wound-too-tight party activists.
You don’t see the K-man whining like a little girl at my comments, do you?
Jun 26, '07
"You don’t see the K-man whining like a little girl at my comments, do you?"
No, but thanks for confirming that you're a sexist pig.
Jun 27, '07
On the same subject, why is Senator Rod Monroe's office completely vacant already? Did he resign or something?
Just so ya know, Senator Monroe's office has not been vacated. That kind of hurt his feelings. He was here at 7:30 am this morning. He was here until 6:00 pm yesterday. Oregon's Senators find themselves biting their nails and watching the Oregon House, too. In the meantime, we're packing up. Maybe you'd like to come help?
Jun 27, '07
Ah Buckman Res-
Once again showing your true nature- and I would suggest that by the absolute quality and political insight involved in your first post- well
//// It was YOU that was whining ////
I know it is so hard to find a good GOP skewed blog or radio show out there. Thanks for coming here and making such well reasoned political arguments-
Thanks to your gravitas and your savvy political opinions, I'm going out right now and change my voter registration.
Thanks for changing my life- you internet tough guy.
ps Your mom is calling down to you in the basement- she has your lunch ready with the crust cut off of your bread just how you like-
12:34 p.m.
Jun 27, '07
WAJ wrote: Kari, if you had been in the Capitol last night, you would have seen the Hunt staffers on the couches sitting outside the R caucus room with a gaggle of reporters that they duped into coming back to the building late at night with the "story" of a Republican walkout. Then they sent another staffer at the garage to snap photos.
Certainly, if the majority-office staffers had told a bunch of reporters that a GOP walkout was imminent and they were wrong, then they'd be the ones with egg on their face.
But a bunch of Republican members DID head for the garage! So what's "false" about the story that they were going to the garage?
I don't get it. You're not making any sense.
Jun 27, '07