Oregon lawmaker on the run: "I refer to Idaho as 'Free America' right now"

It's been seven days since 11 Republican Oregon Senators fled from the State Capital to avoid a vote on climate change.

KHQ spoke with one of those lawmakers in our studio today.

Senator Tim Knopp says he and the other "Oregon 11" agree with parts of the bill, but not others, and ultimately he wants the vote to be put forth to the public.

He believes they should have a say because according to the Senator, it's going to impact them.

Knopp says he's been in 4 states over the past 7 days but is, for the most part, staying in Idaho. He said he and his fellow senators were forced to leave the state because Oregon's Governor Kate Brown said she was sending the state police to find and bring them back.

The legislative session is set to end at midnight on June 30, but Knopp says Governor Brown said she'll call a Special Session. Knopp said they won't be going back; not until they at least come to what he describes as "a bipartisan agreement."

The senator said he chose Idaho because the gem state is "not participating in helping to return Oregon legislators and so I refer to this part of the country as 'Free America' right now."

https://www.khq.com/news/oregon-lawmaker-on-the-run-i-refer-to-idaho-as/video_db808b24-986b-11e9-86d4-33fa15e29be6.html