Oregon Supreme Court to hear GOP Senators challenge to Measure 113
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, October 27th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
SALEM — The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether Republican state senators who carried out a record-setting GOP walkout during the legislative session this year can run for reelection.
Five Republican lawmakers, including Senators Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum, and Lynn Findley, are challenging Oregon’s voter-approved Measure 113, which bars lawmakers with 10 or more unexcused absences from running for reelection.
This comes after the senators participated in a legislative walkout in May, staging the state’s longest walkout in history. Some lawmakers who incurred unexcused absences, such as Knopp, Linthicum, Art Robinson, and Brian Boquist, plan to run for reelection, but Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade stated in August that Measure 113 disqualifies those with 10 or more unexcused absences from running in 2024.
Findley represents Senate District 30, which encompasses all of Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Lake, and Malheur Counties, and parts of Deschutes & Jefferson Counties. Findley has not announced whether he is seeking re-election. Elkhorn Media Group has reached out to Findley for comment.
The lawmakers argue that the measure’s wording prevents them from running after the 2024 term.
The case is now before the Oregon Supreme Court, with oral arguments set for December 14.
The lawmakers’ lawyer, John DiLorenzo, emphasizes the need for a definitive ruling, stating that the interpretation of a constitutional amendment should be unambiguous. The Secretary of State’s office said in a statement that it looks forward to the case’s resolution in a timely manner.
