Threat disrupts Oregon Senate session
SALEM, Ore. -- Just one day after Republicans ended a walkout that shut down the Legislature for over a week, the Senate was once again delayed Sunday -- this time by Democrats demanding a Republican senator who threatened state police be barred from the floor.
The Senate was delayed more than three hours as Democrats met in private meetings to press for action against Sen. Brian Boquist, who drew criticism after saying state police should "send bachelors and come heavily armed" if they tried to return him to the Capitol amid a Republican walkout over climate legislation.
Lawmakers had until midnight to move through some of the biggest priorities of the session, including an increased tobacco tax and a generous paid family and medical leave program.
Sen. Sara Gelser, a Democrat from Corvallis, began the charge against Boquist on Saturday, saying that she would not appear in the chamber with him present.
Boquist declined to comment Sunday, but told The Associated Press through email Saturday night that he had not talked to Gelser. He added that Gelser spoke to multiple news outlets publicly asking Republicans "to come back" during their walkout.
Republicans, who make up the minority in the Legislature, fled the Capitol June 20 and remained away for nine days to protest legislation aimed at lowering the state's greenhouse-gas emissions.
Boquist was in the building Saturday, but voluntarily remained off the floor, according to Democratic Sen. Shemia Fagan. Boquist was present Sunday and Gelser was absent from the floor. Boquist denied offers to cast votes off the floor, according to Fagan.
Senator wants ATF in Dominican probe
NEW YORK -- The Senate's top Democrat said Sunday that the U.S. government should step up efforts to investigate the deaths of at least eight Americans in the Dominican Republic this year.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives should lend support to the FBI and local law enforcement, said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., noting the agency has offices in the Caribbean and the technical and forensic expertise that could aid the investigation.
"Given that we still have a whole lot of questions and very few answers into just what, if anything, is cause for the recent spate of sicknesses and several deaths of Americans in the Dominican Republic, the feds should double their efforts on helping get to the bottom of things," Schumer said in a statement.
Family members of the tourists who died have called on authorities to investigate any possible connections. Relatives have raised the possibility that the deaths may have been caused by adulterated alcohol or misused pesticides.
ATF spokeswoman April Langwell said the Treasury Department primarily handles investigations involving potentially tainted alcohol. But she said ATF has offered its assistance and would work with other law enforcement agencies to keep Americans safe.
Court tosses out energy firm's libel suit
DENVER -- A state appeals court has dismissed a libel suit filed by a Texas energy firm against a Colorado environmental activist, finding that the lawsuit sought to stifle the activist's freedom of speech.
The ruling in favor of Delta County activist Pete Kolbenschlag came in a case that helped lead to the enactment of a new Colorado law to protect citizens and news outlets from lawsuits that seek to curb their First Amendment rights.
Colorado is one of nearly 30 states that have adopted measures to curb what are called strategic lawsuits against public participation.
The law was signed by Gov. Jared Polis on June 3 and takes effect today. It allows a resident to seek an immediate stay of such a lawsuit. A higher court can order immediate dismissal of the lawsuit, and plaintiffs can be held liable for court costs and attorneys' fees.
In an opinion issued Thursday, the Colorado Court of Appeals dismissed a suit by SG Interests, an oil and gas exploration firm.
SG Interests sued Kolbenschlag for libel in 2017 after he posted comments about its activities on public lands on the website of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
Plane hits Texas hangar; 10 people die
DALLAS -- Ten people were killed when a small airplane crashed as it was taking off from a Dallas-area airport Sunday morning, a spokeswoman for the town of Addison, Texas, said.
Mary Rosenbleeth said no one aboard the twin-engine plane survived after it struck a building at the Addison Municipal Airport, about 20 miles north of Dallas.
The Beechcraft BE-350 King Air hit an unoccupied hangar soon after 9 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said the blaze destroyed the plane, but officials could not confirm how many people were aboard Sunday evening.
Officials have not released the identities of the people who died. Rosenbleeth said the Dallas County medical examiner's office confirmed the fatalities to the town and that authorities are still working to notify the families of the victims.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
A Section on 07/01/2019