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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW WE hosts monthly community meal ... Ashland-area resident running for Congress ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... WE hosts monthly community meal ... Ashland-area resident running for Congress ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... OUR VIEW Our View: Legislative games Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Minority Republicans in Salem are slowing the Legislature to a crawl to make a point. While that's somewhat juvenile, the Republicans' frustration is real, and majority Democrats ignore it at their future peril. The GOP is frustrated by the Democrats' insistence on pushing complex legislation in a short session designed for minor fixes and budget adjustments. They are fighting back with one of the only weapons at their disposal: a requirement in the Oregon Constitution that all bills must be read aloud in their entirety before a floor vote. Normally, both parties agree to waive this requirement when the session opens. But when the Legislature convened Feb. 1, the Republicans threatened to withhold that waiver if Democrats insisted on ramming through complex bills during the short session. On Monday, the House GOP required the reading of a 51-page marijuana policy measure with broad bipartisan support and an 18-page bill transitioning utilities away from coal power. Both bills eventually passed after all the pages were read aloud, which took 4½ hours. The Democrats insist that complex measures must be passed to forestall voter initiatives headed for the November ballot that would be more damaging than the milder legislative versions. Republicans, however, have a legitimate complaint about the high-handed tactics being employed by Democrats who have enjoyed a solid majority for the past several years. The Democrats should remember that their strong-arm approach will come back to haunt them when — not if — they lose the majority in some future election. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501