Oregon legislative leaders meet a 2nd day in bid to end GOP boycott; Senate president agrees to 3-day pause in sessions

(Update: Adding details, Wagner statement)

Senate GOP Leader Tim Knopp of Bend says talks will continue

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon's legislative leaders met Thursday for a second day Thursday in an effort to end the more than week-old boycott by several senators that has stopped action on legislation in its tracks. And they agreed on one thing -- calling off attempts to hold floor sessions for the next three days.

Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said leaders from the two parties met Thursday morning for the second day in a row.

“Following Wednesday’s leadership meeting, at my request, (Senate) President (Rob) Wagner agreed not to hold floor sessions this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday," Knopp said in a brief statement. The news release from his office indicated that the "talks will continue."

Thursday marked the ninth day of the walkout, preventing a quorum of the Senate, with two-thirds of members required to be present for the chamber to debate and vote on bills. Republicans have used the tactic in previous years, as did Democrats earlier.

This time, a constitutional amendment — approved overwhelmingly in a ballot measure last November — disqualifies lawmakers with 10 unexcused absences from reelection. Friday would mark the 10th boycott day for some of the senators. In order to give both sides time to come to a deal, planned Senate sessions for Friday, Saturday and Sunday were cancelled.

"It is my hope that this will give us time to work out a legitimate agreement that will benefit all Oregonians," Knopp said. "I have communicated that I will be available over the weekend to have these critical discussions."

As for last year's voter-approved Measure 113, which says lawmakers with 10 unexcused absences in a session cannot run for reelection, Republicans led by Knopp have said they will go to court to challenge that new law, if need be.

Earlier this week, Knopp told NewsChannel 21 he saw no quick resolution of the issues in sight, unless something changes. Republicans have accused Democrats of violating a readability law in terms of legislative language, while Democrats said it's about the GOP trying to block passage of bills related to guns, abortion and gender-affirming health care.

Wagner has said House Bill 2002, on abortion rights and gender-affirming care, is not negotiable. On Thursday, after a roll call again showed a lack of a quorum, Wagner declared the session adjourned until Monday, and wished everyone a happy Mother's Day.

Wagner later issued a statement, saying the move "will allow for ongoing conversations between a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers about how they can deliver for the people of Oregon this legislative session."

“I hope this agreement to pause Senate floor sessions will create room for progress," Wagner said. "I will continue to engage in good faith conversations to move our state forward.”

The walkout exploits Oregon’s requirement for a two-thirds quorum to conduct legislative business — a threshold that exists in only a few other states.

In Texas, which has a similar requirement, Democrats staged a walkout a couple of years ago as the Republican-led Legislature was considering election legislation. Democrats in Indiana and Wisconsin also skipped legislative sessions a little over a decade ago in an attempt to block Republican bills limiting union powers.