Republican state senators who fled the Oregon Statehouse to prevent a vote on major climate legislation will be fined $500 a day each if there aren’t enough senators present to vote on the bill.
A Go Fund Me page to raise money to pay the fines for the 12 Oregon senators had collected $4,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
The fines will begin Friday if enough GOP senators remain absent to prevent a vote on the cap-and-trade bill.
Under a cap and trade program, the state would put an overall limit on greenhouse gas emissions and auction off pollution “allowances” for each ton of carbon industries plan to emit.
Republicans, who are in the minority in both houses, want the proposal to be sent to the voters for approval instead.
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