Oregon Supreme Court Upholds Measure 113

Salem, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court has made a decision regarding Measure 113, which disqualifies state senators and representatives from running for reelection if they exceed 10 unexcused absences in a single legislative session. This measure was approved by Oregon voters in 2022 to address the issue of legislative walkouts.

The court sided with Secretary of State Yvonne Griffin-Valade’s interpretation of Measure 113. Griffin-Valade invoked the law to bar a group of Republican Oregon state senators from running for reelection this year, citing their participation in a record-breaking six-week walkout during the 2023 session.

Despite Republicans contesting the decision in court, including challenging the interpretation of the law’s language, the Oregon Supreme Court unanimously upheld Griffin-Valade’s interpretation. This decision means that the affected senators will not be able to seek reelection as planned.

In response to the ruling, Griffin-Valade expressed gratitude to the court for providing clarity on the implementation of Measure 113, stating, “I’ve said from the beginning my intention was to support the will of the voters.” She emphasized that it was clear to her that voters intended for legislators with a certain number of absences in a legislative session to be immediately disqualified from seeking reelection.