Featured News Opinons Politics

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.


Keith Olbermann Could Be Cancelled by the Time You Finish This Article: Evil Kirk Comment Will Finish Him for Good
Watch: Schumer Has Weird On-Air Malfunction, Gets Stuck in Loop for 40 Seconds Straight Over Kimmel Suspension
EXCLUSIVE: New DC watchdog aims to become ‘leading voice’ for conservative values, effective governance
Sanders becomes first senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza
Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria
Immigration judge orders deportation of Mahmoud Khalil to Syria or Algeria
Cornell MBA council warns ‘non-marginalized’ students to avoid minority recruiting events: report
Spirit Airlines pilot scolded after straying too close to Trump’s Air Force One
What Saved the US in the Late 1960s Appears to Be Happening Again, Particularly After Kirk’s Assassination
Trump to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’
New Hampshire daycare worker who secretly gave kids melatonin spared jail
Trump to designate antifa a ‘major terrorist organization’
EXCLUSIVE: Man who sparred with Muslim Dearborn mayor, told he wasn’t ‘welcome’ revealed as Christian minister
Breaking: Kimmel Booted from Air Over Kirk Comments, ABC to ‘Replace the Show with Other Programming’
Alert: Multiple Officers Down in PA Shooting, Mexican Consulate Issues Strange Message Immediately After
See also  Can Trump pull off RICO charges against Soros?

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.”


Keith Olbermann Could Be Cancelled by the Time You Finish This Article: Evil Kirk Comment Will Finish Him for Good
Watch: Schumer Has Weird On-Air Malfunction, Gets Stuck in Loop for 40 Seconds Straight Over Kimmel Suspension
EXCLUSIVE: New DC watchdog aims to become ‘leading voice’ for conservative values, effective governance
Sanders becomes first senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza
Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil deported to Algeria or Syria
Immigration judge orders deportation of Mahmoud Khalil to Syria or Algeria
Cornell MBA council warns ‘non-marginalized’ students to avoid minority recruiting events: report
Spirit Airlines pilot scolded after straying too close to Trump’s Air Force One
What Saved the US in the Late 1960s Appears to Be Happening Again, Particularly After Kirk’s Assassination
Trump to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’
New Hampshire daycare worker who secretly gave kids melatonin spared jail
Trump to designate antifa a ‘major terrorist organization’
EXCLUSIVE: Man who sparred with Muslim Dearborn mayor, told he wasn’t ‘welcome’ revealed as Christian minister
Breaking: Kimmel Booted from Air Over Kirk Comments, ABC to ‘Replace the Show with Other Programming’
Alert: Multiple Officers Down in PA Shooting, Mexican Consulate Issues Strange Message Immediately After

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the threat was from militia members showing up or whether it was something more serious.

See also  Kamala Harris in ‘impossible bind’ when it comes to directly criticizing Joe Biden
Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter