A TV reporter interviews self-employed logger Bridger Hasbrouck, of Dallas, Ore., outside the Oregon State House in Salem, Ore., on Thursday, June 20, 2019, the day the Senate is scheduled to take up a bill that would create the nation's second cap-and-trade program to curb carbon emissions. Senate Republicans, however, pledged to walk out so there wouldn't be enough lawmakers present for a vote on House Bill 2020, which is extremely unpopular among loggers, truckers and many rural voters. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
Oregon governor orders troopers to track down GOP senators
02:21 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

The Oregon state Senate canceled its Saturday session after state police deemed the safety of lawmakers was threatened.

CNN affiliate KOIN reports the cancellation comes over concerns of militia groups gathering at the state Capitol, and Oregon State Police Captain Tim Fox said in a statement that state police and partner agencies “are planning accordingly.”

“We have been monitoring information throughout the day that indicates the safety of legislators, staff and citizen visitors could be compromised if certain threatened behaviors were realized,” Fox said in a statement released Friday and obtained by CNN Saturday.

The state Capitol closure comes amid a stalemate between state Democrats and Republicans over disagreements on HB 2020, a cap and trade climate bill, that had passed the state House on Monday. The state’s 11 GOP senators failed to appear Thursday for floor proceedings after walking out of a session earlier in the day – a move that blocked the chamber’s proceedings. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown authorized state police Thursday to locate the Senate Republicans and bring them back to Salem after some left the state.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that the Senate Republicans would turn their back on their constituents who they are honor-bound to represent here in this building,” Brown said in a statement at the time. “They need to return and do the jobs they were elected to do.”

Oregon Senate Republicans said in a statement Thursday that they decided to walkout and leave the state “to protest cap and trade because it should be referred to the ballot so every Oregonian has a voice.”

On Friday, Senate Republican Whip Dennis Linthicum said in a statement that Senate Republicans will “run out the clock on the legislative session as the state budget is fin and funded until this storm of false narratives and intimidation passes.”

Oregon’s legislative session ends on June 30.

“The Oregon senate Democrats canceled their weekend session citing a fear that Republican voters may show up,” the Oregon GOP tweeted Friday, claiming that more than “1,000 opponents of radical and ineffective climate policy had planned to show up.”

Democratic state Sen. Sara Gelser hit back at the suggestion that it was a Democratic weekend session.

“(Democrats) were notified we were physically in danger,” Gelser tweeted Friday evening. “I’ll keep showing up to do what voters sent me to do. (Republicans) have obligation to reject violent threats. I want all colleagues & staff to be safe, regardless of how they vote.”

Democratic state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward told CNN Saturday that threats to safety aside, there’s still a lot of budget bills to be considered before the legislative session is adjourned. She said that Republicans were “violating our (state) Constitution and their oath of office” by not showing up for work.

The Senate is still expected to convene on Sunday, Steiner Hayward said.

CNN’s Jamie Ehrlich contributed to this report.