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.

FAA scrambles to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers by 2028 as shortage reaches crisis levels

Top military leaders head to Puerto Rico to thank troops supporting Caribbean missions

Rubio claims ‘tremendous amount of progress’ in Ukraine peace talks following Geneva meeting

Kristi Noem unveils $1B TSA modernization plan, awards $10K bonuses to workers who served during shutdown

Duffy identifies Chicago train victim as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee while blasting city’s ‘carelessness’

DOGE closes eight months early, but principles remain ‘alive and well’

Trump claims GOP has ‘never been so united,’ calls Greene and other Republicans ‘lowlifes’

‘ShamWow’ guy files to run for Congress in Texas as Republican candidate

British teen says urine, glue chucked at him while trying to carry on Charlie Kirk’s legacy in UK

Portion of Catholic students kidnapped in Nigeria escape as country grapples with anti-Christian violence

Southern universities reportedly see massive influx of Northeast students seeking sunshine and Greek life

Scottish Lawmakers Refuse to Ban Shocking ‘Assisted Suicides’

Kennedy cousin tied to Martha Moxley case breaks silence 50 years later as murder remains unsolved

Former TV anchor heads to same prison as Ghislaine Maxwell after $63M COVID fraud conviction

Divine Judgment? Iran Experiencing Record Drought, Tehran Faces Evacuation

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.”