Supporters of the Oregon Clean Energy Jobs bill flooded the Oregon capitol in Salem today in a last-minute attempt to garner support for the bill. The proposed climate legislation aims to slash Oregon’s emissions through a cap-and-invest plan, forcing some Oregon industries to buy so-called allowances in exchange for each ton of pollution emitted. 

The bill, also known as House Bill 2020, passed the Oregon House of Representatives on June 17th. It was set to go to the Senate late last week, after days of environmental groups lobbying on behalf of the bill, and trucking/forest industry groups lobbying against it. However, instead of allowing the bill to go to vote, Oregon Republicans walked out of the capital last Thursday, ensuring that the quorum of 20 senators needed to pass the bill would not be met. Governor Kate Brown ordered Oregon State Police to find the senators and bring them back to the capitol. However, many had fled out of state, complicating the search. In addition, absent senators were fined 500 dollars for each day they were absent. Before leaving capital, Republican Senator Brian Boquist threatened the police, saying that Democrats should “send bachelors and come heavily armed.” On Saturday, Democrats were forced to cancel a session at the statehouse after threats from far-right militia groups who were protesting the bill. 

Rising Grant sophomore Jane Nelson was one of the youth who went to Salem in support of the Clean Energy Jobs bill, only to have it stalled by the Republican minority. Nelson says, “I think it’s really frustrating… when I was there last Thursday… parents were saying that like ‘When I’m sick even like I still show up to work.’” She elaborates, stating that, “It’s not about whether or not you like the bill… they need to show up and fulfill their duty. So I think it was just like it’s very irresponsible of them, and immature, and they’re not setting like a good example for future Oregonians.” 

Today, environmental advocacy groups held rallies outside the courthouse. However, in a blow to the bill, Senate President Peter Courtney declared this morning that the bill could not move forward, as support from Democrats was waning, stating that, “House Bill 2020 does not have the votes on the Senate floor.” This surprised many at the capital, who had believed that enough Democrats were behind the bill to pass it, were it to be voted on. Some saw it as a tactic by Senator Courtney to get Republicans back the capital. However, if Republicans were to remain in hiding, many other bills currently before the Senate would die, leading some to believe that Senator Courtney was sacrificing the Clean Energy Jobs bill in an attempt to salvage other, more bipartisan legislation. Nelson describes why she thinks the Clean Energy Jobs bill should be passed during this session: “Oregon taking a lead, and doing this and setting an example for other states is really important, cause, well, we need to save the planet, sooner rather than later.”

After this morning’s announcement, many believe that the bill is not likely to move forward, and that it will instead return next year. However, some still think that enough Democratic support remains for the bill to pass, but only if Republicans come back to the table.