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.

Declassified Apollo moon docs describe unexplained mysteries, UFO lights ‘like the Fourth of July’

Breaking: Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Democrats’ Gerrymander in Midterm Game Changer

WATCH: F-18s disable Iranian tankers trying to run Strait of Hormuz blockade

Gorsuch says ideological divides on Supreme Court come down to ‘how you read law,’ not politics

Accused Murderer of Iryna Zarutska Found Incompetent to Stand Trial by Federal Examiners

Breaking: Dept. of War Releases Long-Awaited UFO Files – Photos from the Moon, Apollo Mission Audio Included

Tim Walz Minnesota forcing teachers to abide by ‘horribly disgusting,’ ‘crazy’ race standard, says lawmaker

GOP candidate Bianco’s two-word jab at Katie Porter draws gasps from California debate audience

Elites’ Knowledge Monopoly Is Wrecking America: Here’s How to Raise Kids Who Think for Themselves

Trump warns Iran what will happen if deal is not reached to end war and more top headlines

Is Cuba next on Trump’s regime-change agenda

House Democrats eye four GOP-held Pennsylvania seats in majority quest

Charlie Kirk assassination suspect’s defense playing long game for possible death row appeal: legal expert

Watch: Startling Megyn Kelly Comments – Is She Getting Friendly With Islam Too?

Man against machine: Stories from Ukraine’s Donbas front line

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.”