Late Monday evening, May 18th, the Oregon Supreme Court stayed a lower court ruling made early Monday, May 18th that invalidated Governor Brown’s recent stay at home executive orders.
Earlier on Monday, May 18th, a Baker County circuit court judge blocked Governor Brown’s “stay home to save lives” orders on grounds that she did not seek the Legislature’s approval to extend the stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit.
In response to Monday’s lower court ruling, Governor Brown immediately appealed the decision to the Oregon Supreme Court and issued a statement that said in part: “The science behind these executive orders hasn’t changed one bit. Ongoing physical distancing, staying home as much as possible, and wearing face coverings will save lives across Oregon. Together Oregonians have turned the tide on the spread of COVID-19, allowing us to only now begin the process of gradually and safely reopening parts of our communities and our economies.”
As a result, the Baker County court ruling is now on hold while the Governor’s executive orders remain in place until further consideration by the court and a final decision can be made after further arguments.
