It has been a busy summer! Jamie and I did get some much-needed time off with our kids and grandkids, and I also attended a 40th high school reunion (we still get together after all these years!) But since session formally ended in June, I have continued to meet with various government agencies, organizations, and constituents - the work must continue as we plan for the upcoming short session in February 2024.
Here's a brief update. And as always, I encourage you to reach out.
PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR TOWN HALL TOMORROW (Wednesday, Oct. 18th)!
My next Town Hall will be in Gates at the Sierra Mexican Restaurant on Oct. 18th at 5:30pm. The restaurant is opening up just for us. Our new Marion County Sheriff, Nick Hunter, will be joining us. We look forward to the conversation!
Yours truly,
 Representative Ed Diehl
House District 17
I’m pleased to be part of the new House Republican leadership team. We've got big challenges in Oregon. I look forward to focusing on the issues most important to Oregonians and fighting for the changes that the majority of Oregonians support. I also look forward to restoring balance to the legislature.
Expect to see a record kicker this tax season!
Our latest revenue forecast is about the same as the last, a good sign. This means the $5.6 BILLION kicker estimate is probably solid.
The Kicker is NOT a redistribution program. It works as the voters intended - to return excess taxes back to the taxpayers that paid them.
The Oregon kicker comes from a 1980 ballot measure that created both a personal and corporate tax kicker. It is triggered when the state's revenue for a two-year budget is 2% higher than forecasted. All that excess revenue is returned to the taxpayer.
You may not like how Oregon spends your tax dollars (I don't in many ways), and you may feel our tax rate is too high (me too) but we do tend to operate on a fiscally sound budget. Simply put, state economists predict the tax revenue over the coming two years, and they try to be realistic. This estimate is then used to determine the state budget for the coming two years (biennium.) And the state tries to have a little bit left over at the end of each biennium, just in case. In other words, the state tries to live within its means.
The state also has hundreds of millions in reserves, namely the Education Stability Fund and the Oregon Rainy Day Fund. These may be tapped into if revenues fall below projections.
I will continue to fight for balanced budgets, stable reserves, and a kicker that fairly returns excess taxes to the taxpayers.
One hot topic during our upcoming 2024 short session will be Ballot Measure 110. BM110 decriminalized drug use in Oregon without any systems in place to handle to fallout. Oregonians are rightly upset about the rollout, and overwhelming want it either repealed entirely or overhauled in a major way. 61% of Oregonians consider BM110 a failure. BM110 didn’t cause our homelessness and drug use crisis, but it has made it much worse.
I am encouraging the legislature to act in the 2024 with bold change on BM110. I am in full support of a complete repeal of 110, and rethinking how we deliver drug addiction treatment and recovery services. At a minimum, our legislature must:
- Create of crime of using drugs in public;
- Mandate drug treatment for drug addicts charged with possession and/or certain crimes;
- Recriminalize the use of hard drugs, including fentanyl, meth, heroin, and cocaine; and
- Increase the penalties for drug dealers;
- Require funding of evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services, as well as enforcement services.
After my first term in the legislature, it is clear that we are lacking a coordinated, system-wide approach to tackling drug addiction in Oregon. I am encouraging the legislature, and the Governor, to rethink how we are organized to tackle this crisis. In part, this means abandoning the BM110 Oversight and Accountability Council, which, in my opinion, has been ineffective and misguided in it’s approach to grant funding. We should also bring our Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery program under the leadership of a single entity, that guides the goals, strategy and funding of the state, county, and non-profits in an intentional, coordinated fashion.
Links to additional information on the Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council:
State ends two Measure 110 grants this month over misuse of funds, failure to provide services. The Oregon Health Authority was alerted to problems by former employee complaints – not from its own oversight
The Ballot Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council has doled out over 300 million to 105 non-profits. We already have reports that some of these nonprofits have improperly used funds in the Oregon Health authority is trying to claw back the money. Many of these non-profits have little to no experience with drug addiction treatment and recovery. They also don't have experience administering large government grants. My office will soon request a full audit of this process and how these funds were utilized.
Click the image below to view video and join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter). Don't forget to like and follow me there.
 
Click the image below to see Dru Draper's X thread where he goes into more detail about who The Oregon Health Authority has hired to head the Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council.
It was an honor to receive the Bright Futures award from Parrott Creek along with Representative Hartman.
Parrott Creek Ranch provides essential behavioral health services for Oregon's most at-risk youth.
"Parrott Creek is grateful for all the advocacy work legislators did during the 2023 session to ensure kids in care get the treatment they deserve and the very best level of care. Oregon has a very long way to go in achieving this goal, but Representatives Hartman and Diehl showed such a heart and a willingness to engage and fix the current state of our child welfare system. To honor their leadership as part of our Bright Futures campaign for Oregon’s children, we felt creating a new Parrott Creek award was necessary. There is a long road ahead to build a system of care that gives vulnerable children the first-rate care they deserve. But that road will be built by people like Representative Hartman and Representative Diehl."
I enjoyed meeting Jerry and Laura Pierce, owners of Evans Creek Retreat. Located in the Santiam Canyon up the North Fork, for over 40 years, Laura, Jerry, and many devoted volunteers have been providing a summer camp for children and adults with special needs. It's a labor of love for them.
The camp, and their home, were destroyed in the 2020 Beachie Creek wildfire. While their camp is open again with temporary facilities, they are slowly rebuilding to get back to their pre-fire status.
Laura and Jerry have been hosting some families for decades. I am hopeful that the camp will soon be back in full swing, serving all the families that look forward to their summer in the Canyon.
 
I enjoyed my visit to Detroit yesterday to present Shauna Edwards, owner of Rivers Run gas station, with a framed copy of House Bill 3260.
HB3260 allows Rivers Run to provide vital self-serve fuel on a 24/7 basis, a much-needed service in this remote part of Marion County. Shauna still staffs the station, when possible, but workers can be in short supply in the town that is still recovering from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
Thanks to Detroit City Councillor Michele Tesdal for joining us!
My Town Hall events have brought so much value and enjoyment to the interim phase of my time as your House Representative. Hearing the thoughts, feelings, and concerns of our community is essential to the work that I do for you in Salem. Thank you for joining the conversation and making your voice heard.
Where I've been:
- Turner
- Stayton
- Old Mehama School, Santiam Canyon
My next Town Hall will be in Gates at the Sierra Mexican Restaurant on Oct. 18th at 5:30pm. Our new Marion County Sheriff, Nick Hunter, will be joining us for the conversation.
More Town Halls will be announced as scheduled.
Make sure to like and follow me on your favorite social media platforms to get my takes on Oregon news, current events, and up-to-date legislative information.
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
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