PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Hope for a return to normal after a long weekend has faded fast on the Oregon Senate floor as Republican legislators involved in an ongoing walkout left their seats empty on Tuesday.

Hundreds of legislative bills are piling up in Salem as most Republican senators continue their weeks-long walkout, effectively blocking future votes.

Oregon is one of only four states in the U.S. that requires 2/3 of lawmakers to be present to make a decision, as opposed to a simple majority. And by law, the Oregon session must end June 25 – less than a month from Tuesday.

However, Republican lawmakers have chosen to walk out in opposition to legislation that would protect abortion rights, gender-affirming care and gun control. By walking out, they prevent a vote on such bills before the June deadline.

Oregon voters across the state voted for Measure 113, which aimed to stop walkouts by punishing lawmakers with 10 or more unexcused absences. Should someone miss 10 days of session, they would lose their ability to run for re-election.

But that didn’t stop the walkout. As of Tuesday, 10 senators are beyond the limit – and therefore face an end to their service.

Even though Republicans expect to challenge Measure 113 in court, law experts tell KOIN 6 News they believe it will hold up.

Professor Norman Williams of the Willamette University College of Law said there may be a legal challenge to how unexcused absences are determined.

“School children who go to public school here in Oregon the school districts have greater detail about what counts as an excused absence or an unexcused absence…than what the legislature currently has,” Williams said.

Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner, who reviews requests for excused absences, said events such as graduations and church functions have been denied since the walkout started.

If Republicans continue the walkout, the Senate president could close the session before June 25. That way, the governor could call a special session for them to vote on budget bills that handle funding for schools, police and social services.

Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.