As Oregon residents grapple with repeated walkouts by Republican members of their state legislature that have substantially delayed the work of that critical government body, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade is standing formally by an interpretation of an earlier ballot initiative that would ban nearly a dozen Republicans from running for another term, at least for now. Six of them would be on the ballot next year, the voting rights organization Democracy Docket says.
The measure, approved by Oregon voters, was understood to block the legislators it covered from holding the term immediately following their active term if they end up with ten or more unexcused absences. The measure was approved with a resounding majority in the state last year, after Republicans had already used walkouts as a tactic in years prior. Republicans did so again this year, limiting action on policy related to firearms and abortion. Some, though, allege the text of the original initiative means that affected legislators would be able to hold the immediately following term and only be limited from running in the election that comes next — something inconsistent with the intent, Griffin-Valade said in prepared remarks.
She orchestrated an administrative rule directing that the regulations around when legislators with that many absences can run — or not — be enforced according to the earlier understanding of the initiative. “It is clear voters intended Measure 113 to disqualify legislators from running for reelection if they had 10 or more unexcused absences in a legislative session,” Griffin-Valade said. “My decision honors the voters’ intent by enforcing the measure the way it was commonly understood when Oregonians added it to our state constitution.”
Elsewhere next year, the country will also host high-stakes Senate elections, with Democrats defending their positions in often close or GOP-leaning states like Montana, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
