full article: https://eraoflight.com/2019/06/23/come-heavily-armed-oregon-senator-threatens-violence-as-governor-hunts-down-lawmakers/

A standoff between Republican and Democratic Oregon state senators escalated on Friday. "I’m not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon." A standoff between Republican and Democratic Oregon state senators escalated on Friday after Governor Kate Brown (D) authorized state police to track down Republican lawmakers who have stalled a vote on carbon credit legislation by walking out and refusing to vote.

Under the proposed cap-and-trade bill, Oregon would put an overall limit on greenhouse gas emissions and auction off pollution “allowances” for each ton of carbon industries plan to emit. The legislation would lower that cap over time to encourage businesses to move away from fossil fuels: The state would reduce emissions to 45% below 1990 levels by 2035 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Those opposed to the cap-and-trade plan say it would exacerbate a growing divide between the liberal, urban parts of the state and the rural areas. The plan would increase the cost of fuel, damaging small business, truckers and the logging industry, they say. –ABC13

While Oregon Democrats have a rare 18 to 12 supermajority in the House and Senate, they cannot approve the bill without at least two Republicans present. After several days of heated debate between the two sides, eleven GOP members mutually agreed to boycott the vote.

“The Senate Democrats have requested the assistance of the Oregon State Police to bring back their colleagues to finish the work they committed to push forward,” Brown said on Thursday, adding “As the executive of the agency, I am authorizing the State Police to fulfill the Senate Democrats’ request.”