The Oregon GOP's Favorite Anti-Environment Group Is Awash in Racism and Violent Threats
Timber Unity is linked to neofascist and militia organizations—and once again, it’s gotten its way via a legislative walkout.
REBECCA LEBER
ALI BRELAND
On Thursday afternoon, the Democratic leadership that controls both houses of Oregon’s legislature conceded that their Republican colleagues who had staged a walkout were not going to return and decided to formally adjourn the current session. It was only the latest such confrontation taking place over the last year that has repeatedly brought the state’s politics to a standstill. Timber Unity, a right-wing group that was established last June and claims to represent a loose coalition of truckers and loggers, has received most of the credit for the walkouts by organizing its members to swarm the state capital, sometimes by the thousands, backing the recalcitrant legislators with logging trucks and tractors in tow.
A nine-day Republican standoff last summer over a climate bill only ended once Democratic Gov. Kate Brown deployed state police to round up lawmakers who had left the capital. Since then, Republican legislators who mostly represent rural areas have staged at least four other such boycotts—three with support from Timber Unity—taking advantage of a state constitutional provision that requires a two-thirds quorum in each house to conduct business. The bulk of the walkouts, including this week’s, were sparked by bills aimed at addressing climate change.
While the group has been hailed by state and national Republicans, and includes at least one Oregon GOP lawmaker in its leadership, its participants have had no qualms associating with violent extremists and far-right groups. At least one senior member has been photographed alongside members of neofascist and militia groups, and when pressed, its leadership has failed to disavow such ties. Its rallies have prominently featured messages backing QAnon, the sprawling internet conspiracy theory that posits a cabal of liberal elites are running a pedophile ring, and that has spurred real-world violence.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/03/timber-unity-racism/
Maybe it is time to put up billboards on this shit and call these assholes out, and really ask where are they getting there money from.......................Russians........................
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