Conservative voters in Canby are expressing mixed feelings about the stalemate in Salem. They believe if the GOP lawmakers' voices aren't being heard, the voters aren't either.
Most people KATU News spoke with in Canby say they haven't been following the Oregon Senate walkout closely, but they do support it. Off camera, several conservative voters said that they believe the walkout is needed to protect their freedoms and safety. However, there are conservative voices that say GOP lawmakers have a job to do.
Jake and Krissy Fish soaked in the sun while having a bite to eat for lunch at the local coffee shop. They're active in watching what's happening at the Capitol in Salem.
“I grew up six miles from here my entire life and it’s a great place to live but it’s kind of scary what they’re doing to it," Krissy said.
She's referring to policies Democratic lawmakers are pushing for. The two are conservatives who stand in support of the GOP Senators that walked out more than a month ago in protest against bills on abortion rights, gender-affirming care, and gun safety.
“I support it because I believe that the things they are trying to protect are a big deal. I think our right to bear arms is a huge thing," Jake said.
They believe without the walkout conservative voices will be silenced every time.
"Republicans need to have their voices heard so there needs to be a common ground, some sort of nonpartisan ground, that they can talk on and discuss things to figure out how to move forward," Krissy said.
Chuck Hartman is also a conservative but he’s against the walkout.
“I think they should get back to work, do the job they were elected for even if things don’t go the way they want it to go or I want it to go," Hartman said.
He believes this is the way government works and how it's supposed to work.
“If they don’t want those things going through, they should convince more people of their point of view and get more people elected," Hartman said.
“I think sometimes if you have an issue that’s so important and you believe in that issue so much then you have to fall on the sword," Jake said.
Republican lawmakers told KATU News at the beginning of the walkout that it was over bill readability. Krissy Fish believes there’s too much in the bills and lawmakers don’t have time to understand what they're voting for.
“The bills need to be cleaner, shorter, and more precise on what they’re pushing for, otherwise you’re getting so much extra junk put in each one of these bills," she said.
KATU News asked conservative voters how both sides can find some middle ground. They say that’s a hard thing to do in the state of Oregon.
The Fishes have noticed some families in Canby that are leaving for more conservative states like Texas and Florida. They've considered leaving too, but this is the place they plan on raising children for the time being.
“We’d do it in a heartbeat. We’d leave this state if we could if we didn’t have jobs that are very mobile and for our kids' sake because you don’t look at it for right now for us, we look at it like we’re raising our kids," Krissy said.