House Republicans boycotted a floor session in the Oregon Legislature on Monday, protesting both the Democratic party’s handling of a hostile workplace complaint against a representative and an upcoming gas tax vote.
The minority party appeared on the House floor Monday morning, prepared to make a statement about Democratic Rep. Jason Kropf’s conduct. A Democratic colleague said last week that Kropf created a “hostile working environment” during a vote on a gun bill.
But when the House Republicans appeared on the floor, the House Democratic party preempted their efforts and announced Kropf was stepping down as chair of the Joint Committee on Conduct.
House Republicans were not able to debate the motion to remove Kropf and replace him with Rep. Tawna Sanchez, a Democrat from Portland.
“The allegation that a lawmaker created a hostile working environment by intimidating another lawmaker into changing their vote is a serious allegation that creates distrust in the democratic process,” said House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer, of McMinnville. “It must be properly addressed and thoroughly investigated through a transparent process that respects the victim and remedies the wrong committed against them. Instead, Democrats attempted to sweep this under the rug and move on.”
A gun-rights advocate filed a complaint last week alleging he witnessed Kropf “verbally abuse” and “intimidate” another legislator so she would switch her vote on a contentious amendment to a gun measure.
The other lawmaker is Democratic Rep. Thủy Trần, who confirmed she felt Kropf “created a hostile working environment.”
Trần did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.
Kropf stepped down as a member of the Joint Committee on Conduct, which is charged with investigating what are known as Rule 27 violations, the Legislature’s personnel rules for addressing harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
“While I believe deeply in the purpose and work of the committee, it has become obvious in recent days that my presence on that body was serving as a distraction to the important business of the House of Representatives,” Kropf said in a statement Monday afternoon. “I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to lead in this area and have utmost confidence that the current committee will continue its work with competence and integrity.”
In response to Elmer’s comments, he added: “I have previously offered to cooperate with the Legislative Equity Office and will be happy to do so in the future should the need arise.”
A staffer with the Legislative Equity Office would not say whether the complaint against Kropf is still pending or has been dismissed.
The Republicans’ move drew a swift rebuke from the Democratic majority, who accused the GOP of failing to fulfill their duties at Oregonians’ expense.
“Oregonians want a government that works,” House Majority Leader Ben Bowman said in a statement. “They don’t want gridlock. They don’t want partisan bickering. Today, the House Republicans once again staged a walkout and refused to do the job they were elected to do. This kind of political theater may be normal in DC, but it doesn’t belong in Oregon.”
The House did not vote on any legislation on Monday afternoon. Republicans left as lawmakers were primed to take up a bipartisan bill to fund wildlife conservation programs. House Speaker Julie Fahey said Republicans “have wasted the public’s time and money with a chamber sitting idle.”
“We agree on many things, and we disagree on many things. But the point of this job is to show up and be the voice of our communities,” Fahey said. “My hope and expectation is that we’ll ALL be back here tomorrow ready to do the work we’ve been entrusted to do by the people we represent.”
Although Elmer said her members were boycotting the Capitol due to the “hostile workplace” complaint, other members in the statehouse said they were also hoping to block a bill that would reschedule a vote on the gas tax.
“Today, House Republicans have determined it is best for us to walk out of the building until the majority party will begin to work with us on this gas tax referral,” Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, said in a video posted to social media on Monday afternoon.
The move could temporarily block a floor vote on Senate Bill 1599, which would move a vote on the gas tax increase from November to May.
That bill passed the Senate floor on Monday afternoon.
If lawmakers vote to refer the bill to the May primary election, state elections “strongly recommend” doing so by Feb. 25 to give Oregonians enough time to submit statements for the voters’ pamphlet, a Secretary of State spokesperson told OPB.
Democrats say they proposed the bill to give state leaders more certainty as they work to tackle a budget gap at transportation agencies like the Oregon Department of Transportation, which is facing mass layoffs.
Republicans decry the bill as a political move to ensure Democratic party members do not appear on the same ballot as an unpopular gas tax in November.
“The voters of Oregon said they want to vote on this in the November 2026 election,” Smith said. “Anything other than that is not the will of the Oregon voter.”
Republicans in the state Senate boycotted a floor vote on the same bill last Wednesday.
Lawmakers passed a transportation bill last fall that included a slew of increases to state gas taxes and fees, prompting a Republican-led campaign that successfully gathered enough signatures to refer the bill to voters.
Other Republicans echoed Smith’s comments on Monday.
The bill “is a direct attack on the 250,000+ Oregonians who exercised their constitutional right to challenge the Governor’s transportation tax scheme, and signed a petition to put it on the November ballot,” Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio, said in a text to OPB Monday. “I have no intention of returning.”
Diehl is one of two Republicans in the Legislature who are running for governor.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.