There is an optimistic mood in the Oregon state Capitol that a boycott by Republican senators, underway for six weeks, could end soon as GOP and Democratic leaders meet to negotiate compromises over bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun safety. The walkout, which began on May 3, is the longest in the 163-year history of the Oregon Legislature and reportedly the second-longest of any U.S. state, after Rhode Island. This year several statehouses, including Montana and Tennessee, have been ideological battlegrounds. The talks to end the impasse have grown more focused, with Republicans last week presenting negotiations on the contentious bills.
