Oregon Senate GOP Leader Tim Knopp of Bend sees no quick end to nearly week-old boycott, legislative stalemate

Accuses Democrats of 'doubling down on an unlawful, far-left extreme agenda'

BEND Ore. (KTVZ) -- The walkout by most Senate Republicans that has stymied action on hundreds of bills large and small has gone on for almost a week now, with Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp of Bend at the forefront of the matter. Unless something changes, he doesn't see a quick resolution in sight.

"The Republican independent caucus meets on a daily basis to determine whether it (the walkout) will continue or not," Knopp told NewsChannel 21 on Monday. "And at this point, it will continue, quite frankly. Unless discussions and negotiations take place, I don't see a quick end to it."

NewsChannel 21 political analyst Judy Stiegler, a former Democratic state representative, also weighed in on the walkout.

"This process of walking out has been utilized in the past, not just by the Republican Party, but by the Democrats (as well)," Stiegler said. "Though It hasn't been used by the Democrats in about 20 years, it has been a method that's been used periodically throughout time. The question that it gets down to: Is it effective?"

Voters last year passed a measure which said if lawmakers have 10 unexcused absences, they can't run for office in the future. With a little over a month left in this year's legislative session, if Republicans continue the walkout, they'll have to plan on fighting the voter approved measure in court.

The reasons for the session boycott remain somewhat controversial -- is it about the required readability of legislation, or the topics they tackle: guns, abortion and gender-affirming health care?

Former Bend mayor and NewsChannel 21 political analyst Jeff Eager shared one perspective.

"There is widespread belief that the real reason for the walkout is a series of bills," Eager said. "(Bills) affecting things like transgender health care or gun control, and a handful of other things that Republicans oppose."

Knopp denied the nationally controversial topics are what it's all about.

"The bottom line is this session is all about process and the bills in that process, and nothing has changed," Knopp said. "So just because they've (Democrats) come up with a talking point doesn't mean it's right or correct -- and it isn't."

Knopp pressed his position in his office's latest news release on the boycott, issued Monday:

Democrats Resort to Lies to Push Extreme Policy Priorities

Republicans Remain Committed to Accountability and Transparency

SALEM, Ore. – In a statement released this morning, Senate Democrats made a false statement that “Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp admits walkout is about abortion and gun safety legislation,” citing an article published in Oregon Capital Chronicle on Sunday.

In the article, Leader Knopp reiterated that Wagner is knowingly and willfully violating the readability standard explicitly laid out in Senate Rules, Oregon statute, and the Oregon Constitution. He stated: “They’ve chosen to try to force unlawful bills, unconstitutional bills across the floor, and we are not going to allow that to happen.”

Leader Knopp told the reporter that Republicans are willing to end the protest if staff rewrites bill summaries to comply with the law, and if Democrats set aside their most extreme bills whose summaries similarly don’t comply with the law. All Session long, Republicans have criticized the extreme policy priorities pushed by the majority party. We have repeatedly asked that we get back to passing bills that fix real problems facing our constituents. This is nothing new.

Activist special interest groups have continuously lied by claiming Republicans are attempting to “take away abortion rights and deny marriage equality.”

“One thing has become clear: Democrats are unwilling to come to the table and instead, they are doubling down on an unlawful, far-left extreme agenda. Abortion is codified into Oregon law and same-sex marriage is settled. To suggest that Republicans are attempting to restrict abortion access and marriage equality by protesting is a desperate lie. Continuing to shield the truth from Oregonians isn’t going to solve anything,” concluded Knopp.