Palace Coup?

[May 10th, 2006] Even House Speaker Karen Minnis' sharpest critics from outside the Republican Party credit her for running an extraordinarily efficient ship the past two legislative sessions.

But now the same efficiency that's made her perhaps Oregon's most effective elected official may be undermining her reign from within the GOP.

One House Republican is working to defeat a key member of Minnis' team for a top leadership post. And another, speaking on background for fear of retribution, says at least four members of the caucus are quietly seeking support for leadership runs.

"The troops are getting restless," says that second GOP member. "The speaker will not be the speaker next term."

Whether that coup will come to pass is uncertain.

What is certain is what's ticking off several House Republicans: They think the prepackaged one-day special session April 20 that had Minnis' fingerprints all over it benefited her and Democrats far more than them.

Prior to convening their members, Minnis and Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) agreed on a deal that provided more money for Portland schools and for the state Department of Human Services. That package, which won legislative approval, also included draconian controls on payday lenders and stiffer penalties for sexual predators (the last was an issue Republicans had been successfully using to paint Dems as soft on crime).

"Legislators like to have a say in things, and a lot of these issues were decided ahead of time," says Rep. Billy Dalto (R-Salem). "That creates some frustration."

The payday-lending bill especially caused friction.

Minnis (R-Wood Village) faced intense pressure in her east Multnomah County district because of its disproportionately high share of metro-area payday operations and the fact that Democratic challenger Rob Brading is making them an issue in what's shaping up as a serious race this fall.

To negate that issue, the speaker ended up pushing through a bill identical to a November ballot initiative circulated by a progressive coalition.

House Majority Leader Wayne Scott (R-Canby) slammed the bill during floor debate, and 19 House Republicans voted against it, including Rep. Brian Boquist, who had proposed a more sweeping bill during the regular session.

Boquist (R-Dallas) is the first House Republican to publicly challenge Minnis' team, writing colleagues that he intends to run for House speaker pro tem, a spot currently held by Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point), one of four caucus leadership positions.

"I like Karen and she's a great speaker, but I want to bring some new ideas into leadership," Boquist says.

Boquist says his challenge to Richardson doesn't represent a lack of confidence in Minnis' team. But other Republican legislators say it's significant that he is stepping forward so far in advance of the November caucus in which House Republicans will pick their leaders.

"It signals that things are kind of happening," says Rep. Vicki Berger (R-Salem). "Last time around [after the 2003 session], there was no questioning her leadership."

Dalto, Boquist and Berger declined to speculate about how stiff a challenge Minnis might face inside her caucus. And one of Salem's most influential lobbyists is skeptical that rank-and-file Republicans could overthrow Minnis.

"I know there's a lot of discontent, but I doubt the votes are there to do it," says Mark Nelson, a longtime lobbyist for several powerful business interests.

Part of some members' beef also stems from their belief that Minnis is soaking up dollars to survive her challenge from Brading when that money might have gone to other Republican candidates around Oregon.

(Between her personal and speaker's committees, she has raised $378,000 so far.)

Minnis spokesman Chuck Deister says total spending in the District 49 race will reach $1 million, three-quarters of it by Minnis. That total is unprecedented in an Oregon House race.

Minnis also says observers shouldn't read too much into several GOP members' voting against her special-session agenda last month.

"It's easy for members to spout off,'' she says. "And after some time and distance, they're fine."

As for the notion that a handful are upset enough either to challenge her or support a challenge, she says she's unaware of such talk.

"I'm not so presumptuous to think anything is due me or owed to me," Minnis says, "but the bottom line is, I'm not hearing about the unhappiness."