Oregon's Dem Governor Orders Troopers to Hunt Down GOP Lawmakers Refusing to Return to Capitol.
TAPPER: In our national lead now, Republican lawmakers in Oregon are apparently so opposed to legislation to combat climate change that they have literally fled the state. The Democratic governor there has now ordered state troopers to go round up these Republican legislators. But as CNN's Sara Sidner reports, those lawmakers argue they are just doing their job.</s>SEN. PETER COURTNEY (D), PRESIDENT OF OREGON STATE SENATE: I'm asking at the highest law enforcement branch in the state of Oregon go out and find my fellow legislatures.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): politics has gotten so ugly in Oregon, the Democratic governor has now ordered troopers to track down Republican state lawmakers.</s>GOV. KATE BROWN (D-OR): They are rogue. They need to get back. They need to do their jobs.</s>SIDNER: It all came to a head Wednesday with a warning from the governor saying she contacted state police after Republican senators said they would walk out of the legislature to block a vote on a landmark climate bill aimed at dramatically lowering greenhouse emissions.</s>BRIAN BOQUIST (R-OR), STATE SENATOR: If any of you are offended, that's fine.</s>SIDNER: One of those senators responded to the governor's warning with a threat of his own.</s>BOQUIST: This is what I told the superintendent. Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I'm not going be a political the prisoner in the state of Oregon. It's just that simple.</s>SIDNER: Thursday, all 11 Republicans made good on a promise to walk out, attacking the Senate president before leaving.</s>BOQUIST: We're at the 11th hour. If you don't think these boots are made for walking, you're flat wrong, Mr. President. And you send the state police to get me, hell is coming to visit you personally.</s>SIDNER: The governor followed through as well. In an extraordinary move last night, she ordered the state police to bring them back to work. (on camera): It's an extraordinary move, would you agree?</s>BROWN: Absolutely. But I would also argue that the challenges that we face as a state and a nation around tackling climate change also require extraordinary circumstances.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): The wife of run of the Republican senators said they went out of state to Idaho.</s>BROWN: This is an embarrassment to the state of Oregon.</s>SIDNER: The underlying reason for the standoff, Democrats have a super majority, which means they can pass a vote without from a single Republican. But in order to do any of the people's business, they need at least two Republican senators to be in attendance for a quorum. State police say they will politely ask senators to return and accompany them if need be, but if they can't two senators to agree, they would need permission from their superintendent to use handcuffs.</s>SIDNER: Now the governor is very clear that if they cannot get those two Republican senators to come in and create a quorum, that she will have to call a special session because this legislative session ends on June 30th. Jake?</s>TAPPER: I thought things were bad in Washington. Sarah Sidner, thank you so much. I appreciate it.</s>SIDNER: I know it.</s>TAPPER: No access to soap, toddlers and soiled onesies, teenagers taking care of babies all coming to a head in a dramatic court hearing. That's next.