Oregon GOP state senators who staged walkout over abortion can't run for reelection, high court says

The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that 10 Republican state senators are ineligible to run for reelection after they participated in a quorum-denying walkout for six weeks last year to stall legislation on abortion, transgender treatments and firearms.

The high court decided in favor of Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who had disqualified the senators from running for office again after voters approved a measure in 2022 to amend the state constitution to ban lawmakers with more than 10 unexcused absences from running again. 

The measure to prevent walkouts passed after GOP lawmakers staged other walkouts from the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Five of the 10 Republican state senators, Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findle, had filed a lawsuit against the secretary of state over the decision. 

The walkout, which was the longest in Oregon's history, resulted in hundreds of bills being stalled, according to The Associated Press. 

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