PORTLAND — A group of businesses has filed a lawsuit against Oregon Gov. Kate Brown over her recent extension of Oregon’s state of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brown last week extended the state of emergency by 60 days, giving her the authority to issue restrictions on business operations, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Brown said Tuesday all counties would be moved out of extreme risk, ending the ban on indoor dining by Friday. It wasn’t immediately known how Brown’s announcement would affect the lawsuit.
The group suing includes the political action committees Oregon Moms Union and Heart of Main Street, as well as the owner of Gresham restaurant Spud Monkeys.
The group objects to “unfair restrictions” they said Brown has placed upon businesses and public school children, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday. They asked the court to issue an injunction halting restriction enforcement.
The lawsuit also claimed Brown’s executive order failed to differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, “subjecting all to the same regulations and deprivations of liberty.”
Brown’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the newspaper.
On Monday, Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam announced in a news conference that a coalition of businesses were planning to sue Brown. Pulliam himself was not identified as a plaintiff in this lawsuit, although he said Monday he supports the businesses who are suing Brown.
