Senate rejects effort to pull civil‑rights bill from committee for full floor debate

Senator Cedric Hayden moved on the Senate floor to withdraw Senate Bill 15 63 from the Judiciary Committee so the full Senate could consider the bill’s original civil‑rights language before a committee dash‑2 amendment was adopted.

Hayden said the bill had received public testimony and deserved deliberation by the entire chamber, arguing that pulling it to the floor would preserve the Senate’s role in thoughtful debate. "Pulling the bill ensures that the entire chamber… determines the direction of a bill related to civil rights," he said.

The motion was limited to the question of withdrawal; the chair confined debate to the procedure. After the clerk called the roll, the motion was defeated and the presiding officer declared it failed.

Several senators offered vote explanations afterward. Senator Starr called the outcome a missed chance for bipartisan action. Senator Mike McLean said he supported the motion to give Oregonians, including low‑income residents and those with disabilities, access to legal remedies when their Article I rights are infringed. Senator David Brock Smith described his work as a sponsor of the bill and expressed frustration that the measure was not advancing.

No formal amendment or floor debate on the bill’s merits occurred after the failed withdrawal motion; the record shows the measure remains in committee pending committee action or further procedural steps.

What happens next depends on the Judiciary Committee’s calendar and any committee amendments; no committee action was recorded on the floor after the vote.