With the threat of another walkout looming over the February legislative session, Oregon’s public employee unions are preparing a ballot initiative to dissuade lawmakers from abandoning their posts.
According to Oregon AFSCME Political Director Joe Baessler, their proposal will amend the state constitution so that 10 unexcused absences within a year will result in removal from the legislature.
Baessler told OPB that “voters really seem to like the idea that if you don’t show up to work, you lose your job.”
His statement is backed up by data from FM3 Research, a California-based polling company. In a memo released January 23, FM3 reported that “Three in five (59%) Oregon voters oppose the walkouts, with nearly half (47%) ‘strongly opposed,’” and that “Two-thirds (65%) support a ballot measure to remove a legislator with ten unexcused absences in a year — two in five (39%) say they would ‘definitely’ vote yes on such a measure.”
State democrats have also introduced a measure intended to curtail walkouts, which would amend the two-thirds quorum required by the state constitution. However, they consider it to be a longshot. “It’s always a heavy lift to go for a constitutional amendment,” said Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland.
Senate Minority Leader Herman Baertschigar, R-Grants Pass, was more critical: “…in districts like mine, they’ll [toss out a legislator] and people will just re-elect you again. I think it’s just a usual thing of Democrats figuring out another way to gain more power.”
By Brandon Urey
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