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.

Fox News Poll: Broad anxiety about AI doesn’t extend to jobs

Artemis II vs. Apollo: Why this mission loops the moon but doesn’t land

Trump Fires Off Heated Message After Walking Out of Supreme Court Oral Arguments

Sauer cites ‘striking’ figures on secretive birth tourism in high-stakes SCOTUS case

Trump highlights ‘day of prayer’ at National Mall next month with faith leaders

Ted Bundy unmasked in decades-old teen murder as cold case finally solved by DNA: report

Trump Goes to Supreme Court for Oral Arguments in Unprecedented Move

Trump says Artemis II launch is sign US is ‘WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere’

Trump working to clean ‘filthy’ Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, blames Biden for maintenance delays

Trump calls for second ‘big, beautiful bill’ to fund ICE on his desk by June 1

Audience of one: Trump watches from Supreme Court gallery during birthright citizenship arguments

Watch: Nancy Pelosi Plants Absurd Conspiracy Theory About the 2026 Election

Grand conspiracy investigation into Obama-era officials gains steam in South Florida

Impeach Them All: Rogue Judge Orders Trump to Restore Legal Status to Up to 900,000 Immigrants

Iran launches mass text-based recruitment drive, including minors, to join targeted security forces

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.”