The Oregon Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) is patting herself on the back for her part in the negotiations while the public scratch their heads in disbelief. One Senator broke ranks, Senator Lynn Finley (R-E. Counties), and returned to the Senate floor to meet the quorum requirement. They are claiming the walkout produced victory with the main points of negotiations being:

• Agreed to fully comply with the readability law.
• Protects parental rights by striking large portions of House Bill 2002 and Senate Joint Resolution 33 in its entirety.
• Defends the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners by striking large portions of House Bill 2005 and all of Senate Bill 348 and Senate Bill 393.
• Prioritizes legislation that will exempt small farming, ranching, and timber families from the Oregon Estate Tax. (Senate Bill 498)
• Give impeachment power of statewide elected Executive Branch officials to the House of Representatives, and the power to try impeachments in the Senate. Oregon is currently the only state in the nation without such a procedure. (House Joint Resolution 16)
• Ensures that bill summaries will be redrafted to comply with House Rules, Senate Rules, Oregon statute, and the Oregon Constitution.

Senator Lynn Finley stated, “These are major victories for accountability, accessibility, and civil rights. They do not come freely. Republicans and Independents have potentially sacrificed our careers to protect Oregonians. The Senate Democrats made sure that most of us got more than 10 unexcused absences. Because of Measure 113 this will question our eligibility for future elections. Democrats thought we would value holding office over principle. They were wrong.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

“Today is a victory for Oregonian’s parental rights and law-abiding gun owners. After months of being promised a bipartisan session, Democrats chose to prioritize a partisan and extreme agenda. Republicans held the line and were able to amend the worst parts of House Bill 2002 and the Democrats Omnibus Gun Bill, House Bill 2005. I appreciated working with Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp throughout this process to ensure better outcomes for all Oregonians,” said Breese-Iverson.

The primary bills at the core of the walkout are HB 2002 and HB 2005. Both bills were passed back to committee, amended without public hearing and a partisan vote, and passed back to the floor for a vote all in one day.

It is disturbing to most to see that gender-affirming care information was left in HB 2002, but the amendment does bring back the original statute language requiring it to be a crime for concealing the birth of an infant, and allowing a minor the right to needed medical or dental treatment without consent of minor or parent eliminating gender-affirming treatments. However, the controversial section allowing a minor of any age to receive reproductive health care (abortion) information and services is still in the bill (Section 8 (3)). Reproductive health services at college student health centers, the pilot project in rural areas, and the OHA education programs were removed, cutting the cost of the bill to a minimal expense to the state. However, a number of provisions will dramatically affect the cost of health insurance premiums, including gender-affirming treatment retained as a covered benefit, protection for providers covered by malpractice insurance for reproductive or gender-affirming services. Protects out-of-state individual seeking reproductive health care (abortion) or gender-affirming treatment in Oregon.

Revisions to HB 2005 are not so clear. The bill still requires a manufacture number, or privately made firearm (PMF) to have a serial number, which isn’t clear the time frame allowed to obtain a number once made. By requiring a serial number, it is prohibiting “ghost guns.” The bill repeatedly references 27 C.F.R. 478.12 and other federal regulations. It removes the requirement to be age 21 to own a firearm reverting back to age 18. It also removes the requirement to have a firearm unloaded and locked in the trunk when parking near a public building, and removes provision for local governing bodies to regulate carry requirements. It appropriates $356,816 to the Department of State Police to enforce the many penalties added in the bill.

Both bills have an “emergency clause” added to prevent the public from passing an initiative overriding the statute. The means for opposition are lawsuit if grounds are unconstitutional, or elect legislators that will repeal the laws.

Meanwhile, with all the attention focused on those two bills, other bills that will negatively impact Oregonians will now pass on party line votes during the remaining few days of the session because the Senate returned.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-06-15 14:54:23

Last Update: 2023-06-15 18:43:20