SALEM — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday appeared to concede Democrats’ ambitious plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions was dead.

The governor issued her statement more than two hours after Senate President Peter Courtney, the top Democrat in that chamber, announced during a morning floor session that his caucus did not have enough votes to pass House Bill 2020. Senate Republicans fled the state last week, blocking Democrats from voting on the bill by denying them the 20-member quorum necessary to conduct business.

“Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that provides a better future for our state and for our children, and the tactics they employed to do so are not just unacceptable, but dangerous,” Brown said in the statement. “The Republicans are driving us away from the values that Oregonians hold dear, and are moving us dangerously close to the self-serving stalemate in Washington, DC."

Brown challenged Senate Republicans to prove their boycott was truly based on opposition to the climate bill, and not a broader tactic to obstruct Democrats’ other priorities. ”It’s now up to Republicans to prove me wrong," Brown said. “Are they against climate change legislation or are they against democracy? If they are not back by Wednesday afternoon, we will know the answer.”

As The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, more than a hundred budget and policy bills and resolutions are still pending in the Legislature and could die if Senate Republicans do not return by June 30.

On Monday, Brown said she would not negotiate with Republicans until they returned to the state. Brown’s staff had been negotiating with Republicans last week until they reached an impasse. Republicans fled Oregon in order to be outside Oregon State Police jurisdiction, after Brown last week directed state troopers to round up Republicans missing from the Senate floor.

— Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud

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