A Republican senator on Wednesday introduced a bill that would require Oregon's public universities and community colleges to expel students convicted of rioting.

Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, is listed as the chief sponsor of SB 540, which would force the state's institutions of higher education to drop students convicted of the crime under ORS 166.105.

Under the statute, riots are defined as a group of six or more people who engage "in tumultuous and violent conduct and thereby intentionally or recklessly create a grave risk of causing public alarm."

The most recent high profile riot in the state, which grabbed headlines nationwide, took place in Portland after Donald Trump was elected president.

A protest turned into a riot Nov. 10 when a Toyota dealership on the east side of the Willamette River suffered extensive damage and several businesses and statues were tagged with graffiti.

In the months since, particularly on Inauguration Day, downtown Portland businesses have taken extra precautions to avoid vandalism.

Nobody has been charged with rioting -- a felony -- since protests against Trump began in earnest. And 15 of 19 people arrested during Inauguration Day demonstrations have had charges against them dropped.

One day prior to Trump's inauguration, misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges were dropped against Gregory McKelvey, leader of Portland's Resistance.

Thatcher's bill was filed with the Senate Committee on Education, which includes three Democrats and two Republicans. In a statement, the senator said her bill "protects free speech, campus safety."

"I have exercised my constitutional rights to protest and speak out on issues close to my heart and I am a huge supporter of the First Amendment," Thatcher wrote. "Free speech protects us all and ensures we can exercise the critical right to share our truth. Violence is not free speech. My bill will help protect students who are peacefully protesting from bad apples in the crowd who exploit peaceful protests to engineer violent riots. Too often, peaceful protestors are blamed for violent behavior of bad actors within their own movement and this will help mitigate that."

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com