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The scene right now at the Oregon State Capitol. Traffic gridlock thanks to hundreds of trucks (presumably) here to support the GOP walkout.
Democracy dies in....something something 
Live look in to the Oregon Senate floor.
I’d guess there are about 300 protesters here not counting the hundreds of trucks. Food provided by Marion and Douglass country GOP.
One constituency here are the secessionist State of Jefferson folks.
Also saw a few folks wearing III% gear.
Oregon Truckers Association providing bottled water.
Heckuva juxtaposition here.
There’s a story to be told about this FB group with 37k members that was founded only three weeks ago. I saw more “Timber Unity” logos than any other today.
I heard a rumor that this new group, Timber Unity, has formed a PAC with a contribution from Stimson Lumber. I have not been able to confirm that. But Stimson sure has a history of political donations.
Interestingly, Stimson just laid off 40% of their Oregon workforce in order to move the operation to Idaho and Montana, states with presumably more "business friendly" governments. wweek.com/news/2019/06/2…
For a good overview of what's been going on in Oregon politics, I highly recommend this podcast conversation with @jason_a_w who's been covering this story on the ground here in Oregon. slate.com/news-and-polit…
@jason_a_w To me, one of the important, open questions is the extent to which "outside" groups/money have influenced the actions of the Oregon GOP and the citizens they have activated in opposition to HB2020.
@jason_a_w As in, have the national "anti-climate change" movement decided that Oregon was an important battle for them to win and so they went all out (in coordination with the Oregon GOP) to stop what looked like a bill that was certain to pass?
@jason_a_w After all, this cap and trade bill is the same strategy that GHWB used to combat acid rain. Like the ACA, it's a policy idea that originated on the pro-business right, but which now is framed as "creeping socialism."
@jason_a_w Ok, got confirmation on the existence of the Timber Unity PAC. Lots of small donations, but none from Stimson in their name. There's always a chance that some of the people listed are their employees or owners.
@jason_a_w I'm hardly an expert on these things, but this looks to me like a group that has gotten quite a large number of small donations, presumably from rank and file citizens. This is not what I would imagine a financial disclosure from an "astroturfed" organization would look like.
@jason_a_w So what we have is a climate bill that's been years in the making with tons of input from a wide range of stakeholders that looked primed to pass...but which was basically nullified by 11 GOP senators with the help of a movement organized this month on Facebook.
@jason_a_w Having lived in Salem for 20 years, I can say that the protest I saw today was like dozens of others that I've seen at the capitol. Nothing about it seemed out of line with past political practice.
@jason_a_w I'd urge national reporters to resist catastrophizing or pathologizing what's happening in Oregon. The rural/urban divide dates back decades here, and it's very possible that what happened was just the regular course of fractious democratic politics.
@jason_a_w Personally I wish we could find a way to address climate change through the political system and I dislike the cynical tactics deployed by many extractive industries. But it's not clear yet why this bill failed or what this means moving forward.
@jason_a_w Leaving the state is a tactic Ds and Rs have used multiple times. It's certainly a big deal when it happens, but it's not like we haven't recovered from such actions in the past and been able to return to the "normal" process of self-governance.
@jason_a_w More evidence of this being part of the "normal course of politics." On the 3rd floor of the capitol I encountered this "War Room" where some of the rank-and-file protestors were being tutored on talking points and lobbying strategies.
@jason_a_w Oregon Citizens Lobby is a group that's been around for many years. It says it's non-partisan, but all of its materials have a real Tea Party feel about it.
@jason_a_w I can't help but point out that one of their brochures prominently features a FAKE QUOTE from Tom Paine. fakefoundersquotes.tumblr.com/post/894324284…
@jason_a_w Update on Timber Unity PAC. It's biggest and earliest private donor is Andrew Miller. Miller is the CEO of Stimson Lumber.
@jason_a_w Miller clearly cares a lot about politics. He donated a total of $67,788 in 2018 alone, all to conservative PACs or candidates in Oregon.
@jason_a_w Do yourself a favor and google "Andrew Miller Oregon campaign contributions." In 15 seconds I discovered that he (or his company) gave $650,000 to conservative causes in 2013, and $285,000 to the GOP gov nominee in 2010.
@jason_a_w Or just click on this link, which seems to not include his Oregon specific donations. opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/r…
@jason_a_w And it should go without saying that the company that fought hard to kill a climate change bill lists "sustainability" and "social responsibility" as key commitments on its website.
