Who will stand up for this minority in the Oregon Capitol?
Who will ensure their voices are not only heard but are included in the decisions made by the Powers That Be?
The fate of the 2023 Legislature hinges on such intriguing questions.
Of course, the minority I’m talking about is Republican legislators.
“If we're going to be one state, and not having an urban-rural divide, then we have to include everyone,” Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp of Bend said Tuesday.
Most, maybe all, of Oregon’s Republican lawmakers would not be considered disadvantaged or members of traditionally defined minority populations. But they represent many constituents who are – geographically, economically and socially, as well as politically. It’s as if we have two – or more – Oregons and they don’t understand each other.
Thus, it should be no surprise that Senate Republicans will use whatever legislative tools exist to protect their rights – that is, to force the majority Democrats to seriously include them when making difficult legislative decisions. Most legislation is routine, so of course the minority is included in those discussions.
During Senate floor sessions, the Republican caucus will insist that bills be read aloud word-for-word before voting, as prescribed by the state constitution. This consumes considerable time, delaying the legislative process.
Refusal to waive that requirement – at least for now – is one of the Republicans’ main bargaining chips. By limiting government action, the tactic also fits the Republican philosophy of limited government.
As a journalist who has covered politics when Republicans ran the state and now that Democrats do, I’ve been fascinated by how some politicians give the minority party an equal seat at the table and others do not. As Knopp noted, “It’s the minority’s responsibility to make sure that everyone is heard and the majority is accountable.”
That dichotomy was brought home by the Senate Republicans’ press conference on Tuesday. They held their own event because Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton, and Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, did not invite Republican senators to join the Democrats’ press conference a week earlier.
A mere handful of journalists attended the Republicans’ event. The Senate Democrats had drawn a standing-room crowd, in part because they hold the power. But also because they were followed by a bipartisan House leadership press conference.
The House discussion was amiable, despite sometimes dissenting views among Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis; Majority Leader Julie Fahey, D-Eugene; and Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson of Prineville.
It is worth noting that Rayfield made a three-day trip to Central and Eastern Oregon last month that included tours and joint meetings with Breese-Iverson and community leaders.
On the Senate side, at least from the minority’s point of view, the leaders have yet to bond. When I asked Knopp to describe his working relationship with President Wagner, he said they talk on occasion. He said the same regarding Lieber.
His face brightened when I asked the same question about our new governor, former House Speaker Tina Kotek.
“We've always had a good relationship. We don't agree much on policy. But we've always had a respect level and been willing to talk. I've already met with her. We had a great conversation, focused mainly around housing,” he said.
“She asked for names to serve on her housing advisory council. I gave her some. That's what cooperation, bipartisanship looks like. We hope that continues.”
Democrats lost their House and Senate supermajorities at the November elections, which Knopp said signifies voters’ desire for more bipartisanship. What that means has yet to play out.
“But it's important to me to return Oregon to a place where we can fight,” Knopp said, “and then still continue to work with each other the next day. Because your perceived adversary in the morning in this process can be your friend that you desperately need in the afternoon. And it happens that quickly.
“And so, we're not here to burn bridges. We're here to build bridges.”
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