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Hello Friends,
This first year as a legislator has been a whirlwind! It is an honor to serve you as your State Representative for House District 17. As we enter the new year I will continue to fight for common sense in the legislature, to make sure that the interests of Oregonians outside of the Portland-metro area are represented, and to promote policies that support limited government, local control, personal freedom and accountability, and liberty. Quite often in this state my job consists of pushing back on extreme legislation that does not reflect the interests of most Oregonians. It's not always a rewarding job, but it needs to be done and I'm committed to making Oregon the best state possible.
After the close of session in June, I have continued to meet with constituents, agencies, and community organizations to understand interests and concerns and prepare for the upcoming short session in 2024.
During the short session, each Representative is limited to two bills. I will be introducing a bill to allow school choice in Oregon, establishing publicly funded Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for low to moderate income Oregonians, expanding the virtual charter school program, and reestablishing open enrollment. The ESA funds can be used by parents to cover costs associated with private, parochial, and home-base schools. My bill mimics Initiative Petition 30, the Better Public Education Act, which should be on the Ballot in 2024. Now, more than ever, parents are demanding the right to choose the best school for their child. And I am also hearing from teachers that are very frustrated with the public school system and are looking for other options to teach. School choice is proving successful in other states, and I am excited to bring it to Oregon.
My second bill will help alleviate the health care workforce shortage by allowing temporary licenses for all health care professionals for up to one year, providing much needed time to complete the arduous application and licensing board approval process. We must encourage qualified health care professionals to move to Oregon and provide much-needed care as soon as possible.
But for the next few days my focus is on Christmas! I still have some shopping to do! As usual, Jamie and I will have a large family gathering at our home for Christmas. All three grandkids will be here which makes the whole season for me.
From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!
Yours truly,
 Representative Ed Diehl
House District 17
Probably the most contentious issue facing us in the 2023 short session will be how to respond to our growing drug crisis. Ballot Measure 110, passed by Oregon voters in 2020, decriminalized drug use and removed any requirement to seek treatment. The measure, called the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, passed because people wanted to see more people seek treatment and recovery services. Sadly, it has done nothing of the sort. It didn't create our current drug crisis, but it has made it much worse. Oregonians, in poll after poll, are telling us that they want to recriminalize drugs and require treatment in some cases.
Ballot Measure 110 is a failure, and Oregon voters know it. We need bold change to resolve our drug crisis, and it starts with REPEALING this flawed measure, RECRIMINALIZING drug use, and REQUIRING treatment. The Oregonian Editorial Board agrees. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to make this happen.
Click the image below to read the editorial.
The State of Oregon is wasting millions of your tax dollars on DEI hires within all government entities. Meanwhile, ODOT is forced to cut down the amount of plowing and sanding it will do this winter, making Oregon’s highways less safe.
The state of Oregon has abandoned Merit, Fairness, and Equality, and replaced these time-tested standards with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI. It permeates every state agency.
The state spends at least $63,728,000 per year on DEI employees across all state agencies per an LFO survey from May 2023. These positions are either dedicated DEI positions, or positions where a substantial portion of their work is devoted to DEI. I say 'at least', because this price tag does not represent DEI related work that some employees may be doing on a part-time or rotational basis. It also doesn't include 53 unfilled positions.
This list also doesn't include the DEI positions at the public schools, government-funded nonprofits, and other organizations funded by our tax dollars. I estimate that Oregon taxpayers are spending in excess of $100 million a year on DEI related salaries alone.
There are a total of 309 DEI positions within the state agencies, 256 of which are filled. The average cost for these 256 employees is $248,938 which including salary, benefits, and burden (overhead).
As just one example, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrator 1" position is costing the state $451,148.
The Oregon Health Authority alone has 167 DEI employees, costing taxpayers over $40 million dollars annually.
With DEI, every outcome is measured in terms of racial disparity. Any racial disparity means that there must be bias in the system, and action must be taken to remove this 'systemic racism'. It leads to some ridiculous policies.
Here’s a link to the DEI position summary spreadsheet
For example, in education-
DEI in school disciplinary actions:
“When a student exhibits "continuous disruptive behavior," the agreement says, school officials must develop a "support plan" for the student, which can include disciplinary measures such as detention. That plan "must take into consideration the impact of issues related to the student's trauma, race, gender identity/presentation, sexual orientation … and restorative justice as appropriate for the student,"
 DEI in school grading standards:
“Equitable grading” practices that will require teachers to accept late work without penalty and refrain from giving students zeros, even if they are caught cheating.”
DEI in school testing standards:
“Pausing or ending graduation requirements without proposing more effective and equitable alternatives “risks leading Oregonians to believe that our state is lowering expectations to artificially mask disparities” and reinforces false and prejudiced ideas that students’ demographics dictate their academic success.”
I recently joined many of my colleagues and signed a letter of concern regarding the Dam drawdowns in the Willamette basin, which includes Detroit reservoir in our district.
The drawdowns, aimed at studying hydropower elimination and promoting fish passage, have raised questions about long-term goals of the advocacy groups that promoted them, and have caused major disruptions affecting water quality, recreation, and economic stability.
Communities are experiencing negative consequences, including dead fish, muddy waterways, dried-up wells, and economic losses. Businesses report declining profits due to reduced tourism, and water treatment challenges persist. Lebanon and Lowell face increased chemical use and sediment build up, respectively. Tourism-dependent Detroit struggles with reservoir management changes, impacting recovery efforts post-wildfires. The letter highlights the frustrations people in our rural communities have with decisions made without local input. Our communities--having previously faced economic challenges due to the loss of timber--now fear the loss of recreational activities as a source of revenue.
We are requesting a modification to the 2021 order and advocates for community involvement in dam management decisions, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts for informed and equitable solutions that consider both environmental and community needs.
Thank you to Rep. Jami Cate and her office for drafting this important letter.
   
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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