Senate refuses to OK bill to allow unemployment for striking workers

A bill that would

provide unemployment benefits

for striking workers in Oregon hit a snag on its path to approval Tuesday morning.

The bill has already been okayed by both the Oregon House and Senate. However, the House made some tweaks after the Senate approved it, so

Senate Bill 916

had to again earn a yes vote from the Senate in order to proceed to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk.

It didn’t.

The attempt to approve House changes failed by two votes. Gladstone Democrat Mark Meek, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, voted no on the bill, though he’d supported the measure when it first came through the chamber in March. Courtney Neron Misslin, a Democrat from Wilsonville who was recently appointed to the Senate from the House, also voted no.

Democrats Jeff Golden of Ashland and Janeen Sollman from Hillsboro joined Republicans in voting against the bill on Tuesday, as they had in March.

House members changed the Senate version of the bill to clarify that school districts should deduct any unemployment benefits paid to striking workers from the future pay of those employees. The amendment also put an eight-week cap on the benefits for striking workers if the state’s unemployment fund is under financial strain due to economic conditions.

The bill will be workshopped by a bicameral conference committee, Senate President Rob Wagner said Tuesday. Members of that committee will attempt to strike a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill before the session ends in late June.

Members of that committee will include chief Democratic proponents of the bill Rep. Dacia Grayber and Senator Kathleen Taylor of Portland, as well as Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles and Republican Rep. Lucetta Elmer of McMinnville, who unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill on the House floor to make it more closely mirror a similar but more limited policy in Washington.

The bill is heavily backed by labor unions and is opposed by cities, counties and school boards.

Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at

sedge@oregonian.com

or (503) 260-3430.

Latest local politics stories

Trump has no right to deploy Oregon National Guard against protesters in Portland, Kotek insists

Asking Eric: Adult siblings’ feud makes their anger at each other the whole family’s problem
$4M for sobering center fuels quarrel between Portland and Multnomah County
Portland mayor stands by improbable pledge to end unsheltered homelessness this year
Oregon Democrats set near-final tax proposals for major transportation package
Oregon House Republicans fail to force vote on limiting transgender girls to boys sports teams