Readers Respond to Oregon Senate Republican Walkout: “Stop With This Harrison Ford in ‘The Fugitive’ Act.”

“Keep them, Idaho. We’ll elect new reps that actually show up for work.”

Oregon Senate (Justin Katigbak)
By WW Staff

Last week, on wweek.com, we wrote about a walkout staged by Senate Republicans to deprive the Legislature of a quorum and block the passage of House Bill 2020, the carbon reduction legislation that passed the House earlier in the week. On Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown sent Oregon State Police to retrieve the absent lawmakers, some of whom are hiding out in Idaho with burner phones. On Saturday, an unmaterialized threat from right-wing militia shut down the Capitol. Here's what readers think.

Jon Paul Etto, via Facebook: "I support this. Republicans walked off the job and are refusing to uphold their constitutional responsibility."

Mike Gooding, via Twitter: "I thought we were in a sanctuary state?"

Paul Wegner, via Facebook: "Keep them, Idaho. We'll elect new reps that actually show up for work."

Andrew Bailey, via Facebook: "I believe that the walkout is the only manner that these senators believe they can represent their constituents when one party has a supermajority."

Nathan Oleson, via Facebook: "Good lord, just get a VPN and stop with this Harrison Ford in The Fugitive act."

Sally Warren, via Facebook: "It's about time someone got real! They were elected to do a job and should not get paid (I'm happy with fines!) if they don't do that job. I'd be fired if I didn't show up to my job!"

Pati Horton, via Facebook: "Stay strong and stay gone."

Whitney Streed, via Facebook: "OK, so 100 percent fuck these guys, but also, I have to say there is an undeniable appeal to hiding out in Idaho with a burner phone."

Chris Lamberton, via Facebook: "The best part of the story is the demonstrator's horse that took a dump on the Capitol steps!"

PDXBill, via wweek.com: "I can't believe the governor is sending the police out to apprehend political opponents and suppress free speech."

Jonathan Franks, via Twitter: "Just a reminder that a bunch of GOP state senators from Oregon are hiding from the law in Idaho and borrowing tactics from drug dealers."

CamusWho, via wweek.com: "Requiring that legislators show up to—you know—legislate is a reasonable request. Send the truancy officers after these teens playing hooky."

Lil Jozy, via Twitter: "The Wire Season 6 fuckin' sucks."

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