Oregon Supreme Court Bars GOP Lawmakers from Reelection After Walkout

The Oregon Supreme Court upheld the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify 10 Republican state senators, who staged a record-long walkout last year, from running for re-election under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. The walkout lasted six weeks and paralyzed the legislative session, stalling hundreds of bills. The senators had sued over the decision, arguing over the interpretation of the language in the voter-approved measure, but the court ruled against them, citing the measure's intent to bar lawmakers from seeking re-election if they have more than 10 unexcused absences.