Sen. Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego. The former Senate Majority Leader became the first new Senate President in 20 years in 2023. Sen. Peter Courtney, D-Salem, did not seek re-election in 2022 after two decades in the chamber's top spot.

SALEM — A constitutional crisis in Oregon loomed Monday as Republicans resumed a walkout to deny the Senate a quorum, stalling any votes in the chamber and shutting off the flow of bills to the House.

The ongoing walkout has also caused three lawmakers to accrue 10 unexcused absences, triggering a law that would prevent them from seeking reelection.

After what was supposed to be three days of negotiations to head off a crisis, the Monday floor session at 10:30 a.m. had the lowest number of lawmakers present throughout the GOP walkout that began May 3. Just 16 senators — all Democrats — were present, four short of the minimum of 20 lawmakers required by the Constitution to form a quorum to meet.

Senate President Rob Wagner drew on the words of Gov. Tina Kotek, when she was House speaker during a previous Republican walkout, to describe the walkout’s bid to override majority rule.

“This is about the corrosion of our democratic process,” Wagner said.

Ashley Kuenzi, communications director for the Senate Republicans, said Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, would not have a statement until later in the afternoon.

Ongoing walkout

The walkout began May 3 as a final Senate vote approached on legislation to increase abortion access and transgender health care rights. House Bill 2002 passed the House along mostly party-line votes after protracted debate. If the bill passed the Senate, it would go to Kotek, who has said she would sign it into law.

Republicans do not have the votes to defeat the bill on a floor vote, but can shut down all business by denying a quorum to meet. Oregon is one of four states requiring two-thirds of lawmakers be present to conduct business. In the Senate, that requires 20 senators to be present.

The boycott on Monday triggered a new state law that immediately bars three senators from serving another term. The three are:

• Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, whose district includes a swath of southern Deschutes County, won’t be eligible to serve another term representing Senate District 28 when the seat is up for election next year.

• Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas, would also be out of the running for Senate District 9, which covers a swath east of the coastal mountains and west of Interstate 5 that includes McMinnville and parts of Salem. Originally elected as a Republican, Boquist now identifies as a member of the Independent Party. He has supported the Republican walkout and generally votes with the GOP caucus on most matters.

• Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, who made the jump from the House to the Senate last November, would not be able to serve a second term in Senate District 26, when the seat next comes up for election in 2026. The district runs along the south bank of the Columbia River from east of Troutdale to The Dalles and drops south to take in Welches and part of Canby in Clackamas County.

“Three senators have now unnecessarily disqualified themselves from a subsequent term in the Legislature,” Wagner said. “I hope my Republican colleagues will remember their constitutional duty to come to work so we can resume doing the job the people of Oregon sent us here to accomplish.”

New PAC

The trio will likely be joined by most or all of the 12 Republicans and one Independent in the Senate, if the title and “nature of committee” of a new political action committee registered last week with the secretary of state is an indication.

A Bend-based political action committee has been formed to “s{span}upport Oregon’s Senate Republicans who fight for and support constitutional rights,” according to a filing last week with the secretary of state. {/span}Calling the walkout participants “Oregon’s 13,” the Oregon’s 13 Constitutional Defense Fund shows no contributions or expenditures. Currently, PACs can wait up to 30 days before reporting transactions.

The PAC is listed as a “candidate-controlled committee” affiliated with Knopp.

The director of the PAC is Bryan Iverson, the Prineville political consultant married to House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville. Iverson handled the Republicans’ House and Senate campaigns in 2022. No funds have been recorded in the PAC. Campaign finance contributions and spending currently can be held for 30 days after a transaction before they must be reported to the secretary of state.

This story is developing and will be updated.