House Republicans halt floor work, demand investigation for complaint against Bend lawmaker
Claire Elmer
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon House Republicans paused floor deliberations Monday to protest the handling of a conduct complaint against Representative Jason Kropf (D-Bend), which alleged he pressured a colleague into changing her vote on a firearm bill last week.
Republican leaders claim the incident has not been thoroughly investigated and have called for a transparent review by the Legislative Equity Office. The move comes after House Democrats accepted Kropf’s resignation from the House Committee on Conduct without floor debate on Monday.
The continued conflict stems from a February 16th committee work session for House Bill 4145, which would tighten firearm regulations in Oregon.
During the House Judiciary Committee meeting on February 16th, Representative Thủy Trần (D-Portland) initially voted against the measure. Trần expressed concerns that the bill was contradictory and could negatively impact lawful gun owners.
Following her initial “no” vote, Rep. Kropf called for a recess. Trần followed Kropf into a hallway for a private conversation. When the two returned, Trần changed her vote to “yes.” The bill then advanced with a five-four vote.
A citizen, who did not witness their exchange, filed a formal conduct complaint with the Legislative Equity Office, alleging Trần returned shaken and distraught after meeting with Kropf.
Trần later addressed the encounter and the atmosphere of the meeting, saying Kropf “created a hostile working environment.”
House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer released a statement on Monday, requesting a full investigation into the matter. Elmer claimed that Democratic leadership attempted to “sweep this under the rug,” rather than investigate the complaint.
“The allegation that a lawmaker created a hostile working environment by intimidating another lawmaker into changing their vote is a serious allegation that creates distrust in the democratic process,” Elmer stated. “It must be properly addressed and thoroughly investigated through a transparent process that respects the victim and remedies the wrong committed against them.”
The Republican protest on Monday followed a two-hour delay of the House floor session. During the session, Representative Ben Bowman (D-Tigard) made a motion to accept Kropf’s resignation from the House Committee on Conduct.
Kropf was replaced on the committee by Representative Tawna Sanchez (D-Portland). The motion was ruled undebatable, which prevented further discussion on the floor.
In response, Rep. Kropf released a statement on Monday:
“Earlier today, I submitted my resignation as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Conduct. While I believe deeply in the purpose and work of the committee, it has become obvious in recent days that my presence on that body was serving as a distraction to the important business of the House of Representatives.
I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to lead in this area and have utmost confidence that the current committee will continue its work with competence and integrity.
Regarding Minority Leader Elmer’s call for investigation: I have previously offered to cooperate with the Legislative Equity Office and will be happy to do so in the future should the need arise.”