politics

Oregon Dems: 300 Days Too Long For A Supreme Court Nominee

By Kristian Foden-Vencil (OPB)
Portland, Oregon March 4, 2016 9:05 p.m.
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Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

Rob Manning / OPB

Democrats spread across the country Friday to denounce Senate Republicans for delaying a U.S. Supreme Court nominee vote.

Last month, after Justice Antonin Scalia died, Senate Republicans said there wouldn't be hearings until a new president is elected.

In Oregon, two of the state’s top Democrats spoke Friday at a Planned Parenthood clinic. They hoped to highlight abortion cases in the Supreme Court.

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Rep. Suzanne Bonamici said having a fully functional court is essential for reproductive health matters and more.

“From Citizens United and marriage equality and the rights of labor and voting rights and healthcare rights," she said. "This is a very important court and it needs to be full with nine justices."

Sen. Ron Wyden said waiting to nominate a new Supreme Court justice for more than 300 days is extreme.

“It is time to get on with it,” he said.

Scalia's death has had ramifications for pending court cases, including some that could affect issues in Oregon.

The justice's death appeared to end the likelihood that the court would act this year to ban mandatory union dues for public employees represented by organized labor.

The court's expected inaction is increasing the odds that union critics will take a measure to the Oregon ballot this year aimed at making union dues voluntary for more than 250,000 public employees in the state.

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