PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney is taking a 10-day leave of absence from the legislature, he said in an email Tuesday morning.
His spokeswoman said Courtney, 75, is suffering from a recurrence of thyroid eye disease. It is an autoimmune condition that causes eye swelling, irritation and decreased vision. Doctors warned Courtney that his condition will worsen if he doesn't take time to recover.
“Under the advice of my doctors, I am taking a medical leave of absence for 10 days,” Courtney wrote in an email to senators. “I look forward to returning to the Senate in full health and continuing our work together this session.”
Courtney said Senate President Tempore Laurie Monnes Anderson will manage the daily operations until he returns.
Courtney is one of the named defendants in a lawsuit filed by two former interns in the Oregon State Legislature that accuses former Sen. Jeff Kruse of repeated sexual harassment. The lawsuit also alleges that legislative leaders, including Courtney, failed to prevent the harassment.
Courtney, a Democrat, is Oregon's longest-serving member of the legislature with a total of 34 years in the House and Senate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.