Oregon Senate Session Canceled After Militia Threat

Senate floor sessions were planned for this weekend, but Saturday’s session was canceled after militia groups threatened to show up at the Capitol in Salem, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward tweeted Friday evening.

Oregon State Police confirmed to KATU that Saturday’s session was called off. The Associated Press reported a spokeswoman for Senate President Peter Courtney said state police recommended the Capitol be closed Saturday.

For the last two days, Senate Republicans have staged a walkout in protest over a controversial cap and trade bill Democrats say is needed to curb human-caused climate change. The walkout has denied the Senate a quorum.

In her tweet, Steiner Hayward, a Democrat, attached a text message informing members to stay clear of the Capitol.

After media began reporting on her tweet, Steiner Hayward deleted it. But before she did, KATU News had grabbed a screen capture of it.

Before this week’s walkout, rhetoric became heated and Republican state Sen. Brian Boquist made threatening remarks toward other lawmakers and OSP troopers as Gov. Kate Brown and Senate Democrats considered calling in state police to bring missing senators back into the Senate chamber.

Extremism expert hailed as ‘terrific’ by ex-Biden official slapped with federal charges

Florida State University hit with federal civil rights investigation over race, sex-based scholarship programs

Dinesh D’Souza Shows the Truth of the Bible Through Biblical Archaeology

What is a special grand jury? Latest Jeanine Pirro move stirs up questions

Police rescue 60 cats and kittens from abandoned sailboat off Washington beach after 6-day operation

Ex-officer accused in New Orleans mass shooting plot released without charges

Lifelong Lib Chris Matthews Goes Scorched Earth on Far-Left Dems, DSA Members: ‘I’m Not with This Crowd’

Convicted rapist who preyed on women at America’s top party school faces reckoning after courthouse dash

LA Lakers Sold to Ex-Disney CEO and Jared Kushner’s Brother for Record-Breaking Price

Texas judge accused of ‘doxxing’ political critic faces federal lawsuit, growing push to oust him from office

Unearthed interview exposes Dem senator’s past support for reparations: ‘There is a debt unpaid’

Always Watch the Eyes: Video Shows DSA Co-Chair Fall Apart When Asked Exactly Who She Wants to Tax More

DOJ Busts Massive International Sham Marriage Scheme, 1,000 Weddings to ‘Fraudulently Obtain Immigration Status’

ICE eyes $20M purchase of electric shock gloves as Hochul warns of legal consequences

FBI ran secret operation to extinguish Biden family foreign influence scandal: Declassified documents

Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, both Democrats, issued a joint statement Friday afternoon condemning Boquist’s remarks.

“We strongly condemn the comments made this week in the Oregon State Capitol by Senator Brian Boquist threatening lawmakers and Oregon State Police troopers. Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting Oregonians and should never be subject to these kinds of threats, let alone from a public official. His comments have created fear among employees in our workplace. We will always defend free speech and welcome frank policy discussions, but threats like these are unacceptable.”

When Republicans began their walk out Thursday, Brown called in state troopers to find the senators and bring them back to the Senate, but most have reportedly left the state.

Shortly after it was announced the Senate had canceled its Saturday session, the Oregon Republican Party tweeted the Democrats had canceled the session because of a “fear that Republican voters may show up.”