SALEM — Top Democrats in the Oregon Senate took the first step Saturday morning to confirm a controversial climate change bill is indeed dead, as they claimed earlier this week.

Minutes after the Senate convened, Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, made a motion to send the carbon capping plan — which was on the agenda for a vote Saturday — to the Senate Committee on Rules.

Burdick offered no speech or other explanation in support of her motion, which passed 17-10 with support from eight Democrats and all present Republicans. “I have nothing to say," she said ruefully.

Senate Republicans returned to the Capitol on Saturday morning, ending a more than weeklong boycott they launched in an effort to kill the climate change proposal, House Bill 2020.

On Tuesday, Senate President Peter Courtney announced the bill lacked the 16 Democratic votes necessary to pass in the upper chamber. Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose opposed the bill, and Sen. Arnie Roblan of Coos Bay was also known to have doubts about it. The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson of Gresham was also going to vote “no,” although a spokesman for the environmental group Renew Oregon said Monnes Anderson had committed to vote “yes.”

Other Oregon Democrats including Gov. Kate Brown subsequently made statements backing up Courtney’s account that it was short one crucial Democratic vote, paving the way for a deal to bring Republicans back to the Capitol. Three Senate Republicans have not yet returned to Salem but with a majority of the caucus present Saturday, Democrats had more than the 20-person quorum necessary to resume business and they sped through a series of votes on budget and other legislation.

Although referring the climate bill to the Senate Committee on Rules does not immediately kill it, it’s one of a couple options that were available to Democrats to bury the bill. House Bill 2020 is not currently on the agenda to receive consideration at the committee’s scheduled 1 p.m. meeting.

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

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