Grants Pass Republican says rural Oregon should be able to 'get back to work'

SALEM, Ore. – Some Oregon Republicans are pushing back on Governor Kate Brown’s stay-at-home order.

On March 23, Brown issued Executive Order 20-12, forbidding nonessential gatherings and listing several types of businesses that needed to close immediately. The order was later extended indefinitely.

Nearly a month later, some Oregon Republicans urged Governor Brown to lift the restrictions on rural parts of the state.

On April 20, State Republican Leader Herman Baertshiger (R-Grants Pass) said, “I have been in daily conversations with the governor advocating for her to lift economic and lifestyle restrictions in rural Oregon and those areas of the state that haven’t been as impacted by COVID-19. The rural districts my caucus and I represent should be able to return to a new ‘normal’ and get back to work.”

In a recent interview with OPB, Governor Brown indicated she’d be open to different strategies depending on geographic location.

As of April 20, over 1,900 Oregonians have tested positive for COVID-19. For the latest numbers and breakdown by county, visit https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19