SALEM, Ore. – Controversial environmental cap-and-trade legislation pushed by Oregon Democrats appears to be dead, at least one lawmaker said Tuesday.
House Bill 2020 would put a limit on greenhouse gas emissions that can be produced in Oregon. Any entity that produced a number of emissions past a certain limit would have to pay for them.
The legislation passed through the Oregon House with Democrat backing. But when it hit the Senate, Republicans walked out of a vote on HB 2020 for a variety of reasons, saying the cap-and-trade bill was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
What was seen by a number of Democrats as a bill to help mitigate climate change was perceived by some Republicans as a government overreach that would hurt rural Oregon businesses and industries, including the timber trade.
To prevent a quorum on the vote in the Senate, Republicans refused to enter the state’s capital. The action led Democrats to call upon Governor Kate Brown to do everything in her power to bring Republicans back to the table.
In a statement accusing Senate Republicans of abandoning their duty to their constituents, Governor Brown authorized Oregon State Police to bring Republicans back to the Senate.
Many Republicans decided walking out of the Senate was the only way to stop the bill. “Walking out is part of the conversation because the governor is not willing to move on her position on the bill,” said Grants Pass Republican Herman Baertshiger, Jr. “She is only representing Portland and the environmental community, not rural Oregonians.”
After nearly one week, Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) said HB 2020 would not proceed through the Senate due to lack of votes, OPB reported.
“What I’m about to say I say of my own free will. No one has told me to say this,” Courtney is quoted as saying in an OPB article. “HB 2020 does not have the votes on the Senate floor. That will not change.”
Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick was reportedly not aware of any deal with Republicans.
OregonLive reports at least one Republican said Courtney’s statements could be a fake-out by Democrats to get fellow legislators back to the capitol.
The executive director of climate advocacy group Renew Oregon said Courtney’s announcement isn’t in line with what 16 Senators have been saying in the past few days.
Just after noon Tuesday, Governor Kate Brown issued the following statement:
“Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that provides a better future for our state and for our children, and the tactics they employed to do so are not just unacceptable, but dangerous.
“This is not the Oregon Way and cannot be rewarded. The Republicans are driving us away from the values that Oregonians hold dear, and are moving us dangerously close to the self-serving stalemate in Washington, DC.”
“It’s now up to Republicans to prove me wrong. Are they against climate change legislation or are they against democracy? If they are not back by Wednesday afternoon, we will know the answer.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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