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On Valentines Day, Gov. Kate Brown and Republican state Sen. Bill Hansell surveyed flood damage in Eastern Oregon from a Black Hawkhelicopter.

The following Monday, the governor stopped by Hansells office in the stateCapitol.

She wanted to discuss how the state might give financial help to flood victims in Hansells district. Perhaps not coincidentally, Brown also had a request one tied to a bill the Democrats want to pass this session, but which Hansell and his partyvow toblock.

I had begun to hear that maybe there was going to be a quid pro quo, Hansell recalled Wednesday. The governor was going to hold up relief work in order to try and extract a commitment from me on some of the bills orsomething.

Thats not what happened. According to Hansell, Brown even told him: Im sure you heard rumors Im here to do a quid pro quo. I amnot.

But the governor did ask Hansell for something: That he call Shaun Jillions, an industry lobbyist who is among the most forceful opponents to Senate Bill 1530, the climate change bill Democrats are pushing thisyear.

Hansell said it only dawned on him later what Brown was actually asking. She wanted him to work with Jillions to figure out what amendments to the bill might keep Hansell from abandoning the 2020 legislative sessionaltogether.

Men raise United States and State of Jefferson flags outside the Capitol in Salem, Ore., during a Timber Unity rally Thursday, Feb. 8, 2020. Timber Unitys signature issue is opposition to cap and trade, a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the group attracts others like climate change deniers and State of Jeffersonsecessionists.

Bradley W.Parks/OPB

The odd meeting is a fitting example of the state of affairs in the Capitol, as Democrats and Republicans once again brace for a clash on climate change. With the cap-and-trade bill headed to a potential Senate vote next week, Republicans are showing more certainty than ever that they will stage the walkout that has long loomed over the session. Democrats are trying to keep them in thebuilding.

The governor has been busy trying to connect with Senate Republicans to identify incentives. Thats included reports of carving out extra money for a veterans hospital in Roseburg or funneling more dollars to a communitycollege.

The attempted deal-making is a matter of arithmetic. Democrats need at least two Republicans on hand in the Senate to achieve a 20-member quorum, allowing them to conductbusiness.

But so far, it hasnt seemed towork.

Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr., R-Grants Pass, said his caucus is solid and united against the cap-and-trade bill. For the past week, Republican Senators have been reading proclamations on the Senate floor from rural counties urging them to ensure the bill doesntpass.

Baertschiger said the governor has offered everybodysomething.

It stinks. I wont have no part of it, and its soft corruption,hesaid.

State Sens. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, and Herman Baertschiger Jr., R-Grants Pass, talk on the Senate floor at the Capitol in Salem, Ore., Thursday, April 11,2019.

Bradley W.Parks/OPB

Brownsees itdifferently.

The governor is trying to speak to individual members about the things we all want for their districts. Wildfire funding cant practically happen without a quorum, said Nik Blosser, the governors chief of staff. There are things that are specific to districts, and thats more how we are seeing the conversations. We cant do these things if we dont have aquorum.

Its not clear all Republicans areas ready to walk out asBaertschiger.

Of 10 GOP senators interviewed by OPB in the last week, seven said they would walk away from the session if SB 1530 doesnt include a referral to voters or other substantial changes. Three more Sens. Denyc Boles, Lynn Findley, and Tim Knopp would not say whether they were prepared to leave. Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, said he was too busy to speak to OPB. Sen. Alan Olsen, R-Canby, is away from theCapitol.

If Republicans do stage a walkout, it could come next week. SB 1530 is currently expected to receive a vote in the Legislatures budget committee on Monday, the last step before the full Senate. Thats as far as many GOP senators are comfortable allowing the bill toproceed.

State Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, introduces legislation on the House floor as the public gallery looks on at the Capitol in Salem, Ore., Tuesday, April 2,2019.

Bradley W.Parks/OPB

During the 2019 legislative session, Senate Republicans left the Capitol two different times. With a walkout in June, they helped kill an earlier version of the climate change bill they are currentlyprotesting.

But last years walkouts were a surprise, catching many off guard; this year, a Republican exodus feels more like a foregoneconclusion.

Republicans have even considered branding for a walkout this time around. According to Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, theyd pitch it as a boycott for referral, a reference to their insistence the policy change require voterapproval.

They have also picked up a few tips from their previousdepartures.

Sen. Chuck Thomsen, R-Hood River, said that during the 2019 walkout, when the state police were on the hunt for Republican lawmakers, they stopped by Thomsens pear orchards. They spoke to his wife and theforeman.

This time, even Thomsens wife doesnt want to know where hes headed. And, he said, he wont tellher.

Hes had his bag packed for weeks and has already bought a plane ticket. Its on Southwest Airlines, he said, so its easy to change thedates.

Thomsen will say this for certain: this time, hes not headed to Idaho. Its too cold this time of year. His suitcase is full of polo shirts andshorts.

Boquist said Thursday he wouldnt hesitate to head back across the states eastern border once again. He has friends nearLewiston.

Best steelhead fishing in the country, Boquist said. I found a coffee shop that has wi-fi. Ill go there and continue to do Senatework.

Sen. Dallas Heard, R-Roseburg, said he shed 15 pounds during last years protest because of stress. For the past couple of weeks, he joked, hes been doing cheeseburger lifts moving them from the plate to hismouth.

Ive given it a lot of thought, Heard said on a more serious note. The walkout is not something I want to do. The majority has fullcontrol.

State Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, waits for the start of Oregon Gov. Kate Browns inaugural address at the state Capitol in Salem, Ore., Monday, Jan. 14,2019.

Bradley W.Parks/OPB

Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, who has served 15 years in the state Legislature, said she sees this as the most damaging legislation shes faced as alawmaker.

Some people see it as shirking our duties, but I see it as actually doing everything we can for our constituents, Thatcher said of possibly leavingSalem.

Under SB 1530, greenhouse gas emissions allowed in Oregon would be capped, and that cap would be reduced over time. Polluters in the transportation, utility and manufacturing sectors would have to obtain state-issued credits for each metric ton of carbon dioxide theyemit.

The bill has spurred intractable disagreement even among lawmakers who agree that climate change is an issue state government mustaddress.

Democrats believe a cap-and-trade program would help the state transition away from fossil fuels, setting a course that would make Oregon a green energy leader and providing a blueprint for other small or medium-sizedstates.

Republicans point out that Oregons emissions are tiny on a global scale. They worry that the new regulations will increase prices, hurting families and spurring businesses to flee thestate.

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With Oregon Republicans Ready To Walk Out, Gov. Brown Tries To Bargain - OPB News

As the coronavirus death toll surpasses 2,000 people worldwide, one senator is warning about the lack of transparency from Chinese officials regarding the mystery illness.

Sen. Tom Cotton, who has repeatedly chastised the Chinese Communist Party for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, said, "I have very low confidence in the state of Chinese politics because their government is still lying to the world about this deadly matter," during an interview Friday on Fox News.

As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus grows around the world, the Chinese government has been criticized for its failure to act quickly and openly about the magnitude of the disease, which the World Health Organization labeled a "global emergency" two weeks ago.

"I don't disagree that China's scientists and doctors can, in some cases, be world-class and very professional. However, they have sitting next to them at every level of government a minder from the Chinese Communist Party, and I do not have any confidence in those party apparatchiks allowing China's scientists or their doctors to speak freely to anyone outside of China, especially officials in the United States government," the Arkansas Republican said.

Chinese authorities have been accused of cracking down on scientists, doctors, and citizen journalists who attempted to sound the alarm about the epidemic, which has its epicenter in the city of Wuhan. One whistleblower, who warned of the disease on Dec. 30 and was reprimanded for doing so, fell ill and died from the disease only weeks after his first messages about the mystery illness.

Early reports from China claimed the disease started in the Wuhan wildlife market and videos of Chinese cuisine, such as bat soup, circulated on Twitter, promoting the idea that dietary habits could have played a role in the outbreak. But as the disease has spread, Cotton and others have noted that Wuhan contains China's "only biosafety level 4 super laboratory that works with the world's most deadly pathogens."

"We know that it didn't start in the Wuhan food market. That was the original story of the Chinese Communist Party, so it's only responsible to ask where it did start," Cotton said. "I still think the most likely hypothesis is it was naturally occurring, but given the proximity of that laboratory to the food market, it is only reasonable that we ask the Chinese Communist Party to be open and transparent about the kind of research they were conducting there and the safety, protocols, and practices they had in place."

On Thursday, the State Department transported 14 infected American travelers who had been quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.

Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention downplayed concerns about what she called a "rapidly changing situation."

"It is really early days, and we're continuing to get information every day that is better helping us understand this virus," Messonnier said during a CDC briefing in late January.

Excerpt from:
Republican senator: China 'lying to the world' about coronavirus outbreak - Washington Examiner

Just like Democrats, Connecticut Republican voters will have an opportunity to vote for their preferred presidential candidate on April 28, choosing among President Donald Trump and two challengers.

Unless their own party leaders successfully sue to block them.

For the chance to vote you can thank a Democrat, Secretary of State Denise Merrill. Last week, Merrill announced the GOP primary contestants will include Trump, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and California real estate developer and perennial gadfly candidate Rocky De La Fuente.

Merrill made her announcement over the objections of J.R. Romano, chairman of Connecticuts Republican Party.

Romano opposes allowing Connecticut GOP voters a choice. Yes, you read that right. Romano wants to dispense with election formalities and simply hand Trump Connecticuts 28 delegates.

The Republican leader told us the outcome is obvious, so why waste the money? There is no one seriously challenging the president, its crazy. Republicans should have control over their own primary, he said.

Romano has said the Republican Party is considering a lawsuit to challenge Merrills decision. That would probably be a waste of money the party could better spend on trying to win elections.

I dont think there should be a primary in Connecticut, Romano said.

Poppycock. Even as Republican legislatures around the country concoct new voter suppression methods, Romanos push to cancel the Connecticut GOP presidential primary entirely strikes us as extreme.

Extreme, perhaps, but not out of the question. Republican leaders in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, South Carolina, and Virginia have done just that. Primaries there were cancelled, and all delegates pledged to Trump.

This makes no sense. If Trump is the only viable Republican presidential candidate, whats Romano worried about? The New Hampshire GOP primary featured no less than nine presidential candidates. Even in that crowded field, Trump won New Hampshire convincingly with 86% of the vote. Weld finished second with 9.1%. De La Fuente finished last with 146 votes.

The New Hampshire result affirmed Trumps dominance among Granite State Republicans. It also allowed Republican voters who disagree a chance to register their preference.

Under Connecticut law, the secretary of the state determines who is on the presidential primary ballot based on a candidate being seriously advocated or recognized according to reports in the national or state news media. Merrill said Weld and De La Fuente meet the criteria.

Weld has qualified as a candidate in 38 states. He certainly meets the benchmark. De La Fuente not so much, but had he been kept off the ballot he probably would have sued and likely prevailed, given past court decisions.

Romano has a point in criticizing the overly subjective leeway given the secretary of the state in deciding who gets on a presidential primary ballot. Implementing some objective criteria makes sense candidate supporters submitting some reasonable number of petition signatures or proof that a candidate had qualified for the ballot in some number of states, for example.

But the head of the state party is doing Connecticuts Republican voters a disservice by seeking to disenfranchise them in the presidential primary. Perhaps his fear is that too many Republicans will take the opportunity to cast a protest vote against the president. But that should be their right.

Let Republican Party voters have their say.

The Day editorial board meets regularly with political, business and community leaders and convenes weekly to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Tim Dwyer, Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere, Managing Editor Tim Cotter, Staff Writer Julia Bergman and retired deputy managing editor Lisa McGinley. However, only the publisher and editorial page editor are responsible for developing the editorial opinions. The board operates independently from the Day newsroom.

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New London and southeastern Connecticut News, Sports, Business, Entertainment and Video - theday.com

Republican House candidate Danielle Stella iswanted by the law, but that isn't stopping her from trying to take Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) seat in Congress. According to theDaily Beast, she been able to raise almost $84,000 despite being wanted for felony shoplifting. She also has a sizable presence on social media.

Stella's fellow candidates for Omar's seat aren't too thrilled about her presence in the race. According to Republican candidate Lacy Johnson, Stella's negative headlines, along with her apparent belief in the "QAnon" conspiracy theory, could undermine the rest of the candidates.

"Candidates are reflections of the party in a way, and it's not a good reflection of the party in a sense," Johnson told the Daily Beast. "But now, being in politics, you do learn that people do have all kinds of ways of looking at things."

Her dabbling in conspiracies is already having an effect. Police were called to a hotel inOsceola, Wisconsin, after people flooded the hotel with phone calls after a YouTube conspiracy theorist speculated that she was in some sort of unspecified danger at the location. She also got the Twitter account for her campaign suspended for sharing a rumor about Omar being an Iranian government asset and calling for her to be "tried for #treason and hanged."

Stella's campaign is still active online, but Johnson is baffled as to how she plans to move forward, telling the Daily Beast,"I wouldn't even run if I was on the run from the police."

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Republican challenger to Rep. Ilhan Omar continues to campaign while on the run from police - Salon

Suppose youre talking to someone who says, sure, they hate Trump personally (the tweets, the rallies, etc.) but they like his policies. So theyre going to vote for Trump unless someone can convince them that his policies are bad or that Democratic policies are better. Lets think about this. What are Trumps major policies?

Its worth noting that almost all of these are just bog standard Republican policies. The two exceptions are the border wall and the tariffs. However, the wall is popular among the Republican base and the tariffs, judging from how theyve been received, were always opposed more in word than deed.

Bottom line: if youve already decided that (a) Trumps bluster isnt enough to turn you off and (b) his corruption is mostly just a bunch of bogus partisan hysterics from Democrats, what is there for an ordinary Republican voter to dislike?

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What Is There For Republicans to Dislike About Donald Trump? - Mother Jones