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.

Numbers Don’t Lie: CNN, MSNBC Ratings Flip Upside Down from Trump’s First Term to Trump 2.0

Happy New Year: Pentagon Ends 2025 with a Bang, Hits Narco-Terrorists Whose Drugs Will Not Kill Americans This Year

Bernie Sanders ditches iconic mittens look while swearing in socialist Zohran Mamdani as NYC mayor

London mayor denies removing Star of David from fireworks show

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Copies One of Trump’s Signature Policies

Mamdani vows to govern as ‘democratic socialist’ and embrace big government

At Least It Wasn’t Snakes: Disney Employee Injured After Errant ‘Indiana Jones’ Boulder Falls off Track

Inside Trump’s first-year power plays and the court fights testing them

Jack Smith Gives Telling Non-Answer When Asked the Key Trump Question During Deposition

Colorado Man Sentenced to Prison in Nationwide Child Sexploitation Scheme – Given 1 Year for Each of His 84 Victims

The road ahead for transit in New York City in 2026 includes fare hikes

5 big immigration changes taking effect across the US

China’s global aggression check: Taiwan tensions, military posturing and US response in 2025

Here are the top US cities Trump could target with National Guard deployments in 2026

White House race underway: With 2026 looming, both parties are already playing for 2028

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.”