|
Dear Friends,
I received confirmation this week from Legislative Legal Council that House Bill 2002 specifically EXCLUDES DETRANSITION TREATMENTS from insurance coverage. With this bill, Medicaid and private insurance are mandated to cover treatments when your "gender identity" and sex don't align. But, if you believe you have made a mistake and want a procedure to align with your sex, coverage will not be mandated. The wording in the bill is intentional.
I proposed a -11 amendment to the base bill, adding coverage for detransition treatments, and it was flatly rejected by the Democrats. Why? Doesn't this seem like the compassionate thing to do? We know we are harming some children and young adults with these treatments; shouldn't we offer them the opportunity to correct the mistakes made by the medical professionals?
The best studies we have today show 7% to 30% of people who have transitioned will detransition within about 10 years. This is enough for the UK, Sweden, Norway, and several other European countries to put the brakes on "gender-affirming treatment and limit it to clinical settings or ban it outright for minors.
In Oregon, however, we are full steam ahead, ignoring these evidence-based studies and the European response. We are expanding access. We are told that gender identity is immutable; it simply 'is', without the choice or possibility of change. It is based upon one's internal sense of self. And the professionals know exactly how to determine if someone was "born in the wrong body", even in the case of children and adolescents.
SO HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE: To detransition is to demonstrate that gender identity is not immutable. By including detransition treatment coverage in the bill, the true believers would be acknowledging that detransition is real, that some children and young adults are being harmed, and that the professionals can be wrong. And that is something they simply cannot admit.
If detransition is real, the whole "gender identity" house of cards collapses. There are additional problems with this bill, including a denial of parental rights.
We must urge our legislators to vote NO, or at least push the bill back to committee and fix it!
 Click the Image above to watch my -11 amendment proposal to HB2002
 I had the pleasure of discussing my -11 amendment to House Bill 2002 with Dan Springer from Fox News. It would have given detransitioners the same insurance rights as transitioners but was flatly rejected by Democrat leadership. Click the image above to watch.
 Click the image above to watch the full committee discussion and vote on HB2002
HB2405 - Fitness to Proceed. I introduced this bill to assure that defendants released early from Oregon State Hospital are transported back to the jurisdiction in which the charges were initiated. And the dismissal will only take effect once the defendant arrives at that jurisdiction.
This bill was motivated by the recent Mossman order, which compels the Oregon State Hospital to release patients on aid and assist after a set amount of time, whether or not they are ready to testify in their own defense. This means that for some people charged with egregious crimes, their charges will be dismissed. Since the hospital is located in Marion County, this is especially concerning for the residents of the county. It would be unfair, and unwise, for all of these defendants to be released in Marion County. Transporting these defendants back to the jurisdiction in which the charges were initiated is the right thing to do for the defendants, for the rule of law, and for the people of Marion County.
HB2405 was easily passed the House and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate!
HB3260 City of Detroit Self-Serve Fuel. I introduced this bill to allow the City of Detroit, Oregon to have a 24/7 self-serve fueling operation for a limited period of time. The bill reflects the very unique situation facing this community which was devastated by the 2020 wildfires.
Because it is located in Marion County, the town of Detroit, Oregon does not qualify for self-serve fuel under the prior HB 2482 passed in 2017 for rural counties in Eastern Oregon. Also, HB 2426 that recently passed the House this session, to allow stations to operate up to half their pumps as self-serve, would not solve the issue in Detroit either.
HB3260 would allow the Rivers Run gas station in Detroit to provide self-service fuel on a 24/7 basis. The bill is written such that the only fueling station in the state meeting the criteria resides in Detroit. And please note that this bill has a sunset clause so it will expire at the end of 2028. By that time, we fully expect Detroit to be built back better than ever, bustling with businesses, vacationers, and residents!
HB3260 passed the House and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate!
HB3090 Flavored Tobacco Ban. This bill would ban all flavored tobacco products, including mint-flavored chewing tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco, menthol cigarettes, and vaping products. If this bill passes it will be illegal to sell any of these products in Oregon.
The supporters of this bill believe that this will protect the health of young kids.
I am opposed to this sweeping legislation for several reasons:
- There is scant evidence that such bans actually reduce teen smoking.
- Some vape products are actually used to help people transition from smoking and are not as harmful as tobacco.
- Instead of focusing on youth consumption, this bill bans flavored tobacco for everyone, including the adults who use these products responsibly.
- It will drive many small businesses out of business.
HB3090 passed out of committee and is on its way to the House floor.
HB2057 - Contractor wage liability. Oregon continues to make it difficult to do business. This one hits homebuilders, at a time we need to build more homes!
After vigorous debate, HB2057 passed the house by a single vote. The bill makes a general contractor liable for unpaid wages of subcontractor employees at any tier. That's right, the GC will be responsible for the pay of a subcontractor's employees, and the subcontractor's subcontractor's employees. This applies for every private contractor in the building trade.
House Bill 2057 will stifle small, startup contractors - what GC would be willing to take the risk? It will place financial burdens on subs since the GCs incentive will be to pay the sub AFTER they have paid their employees. As a new startup I remember those days - I needed to get paid FIRST in order to pay my employees! The legislature has talked a good game this year about being more business friendly, but the Democrat majority continues to create an environment that drives businesses away. Note that EVERYONE thinks that a worker should be paid for an honest day's work, but this is not the way to do it. We have laws in place, through BOLI, that are intended to protect workers. Let's make those laws work instead of stacking one lousy law on top of several weak ones.
HB2005 - Omnibus Gun Bill. This bill would ban the manufacture and possession of unserialized guns ("ghost" guns), ban most guns for adults under 21 years of age, and allow local jurisdictions to prohibit concealed carry. I am opposed to this bill because it conflicts with our 2nd Amendment rights on so many levels. Plus, it will do nothing to prevent or reduce crime.
I strongly urge everyone to please write your House Democrat Legislators and let your concerns about HB2002, and any other bill, be heard.
Click HERE for the full list of Oregon House Democrats and their e-mail addresses.
Please make sure to LIKE and FOLLOW me on Facebook by hitting the image below and on Twitter @Real_EdDiehl
Yours truly,
 Ed Diehl
House District 17
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1417
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-378, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EdDiehl@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/diehl
| 
