Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
State Rep. Ed Diehl (R-Stayton) is holding a town hall meeting Saturday, Sept. 16, to recap the 2023 legislative session and gather input on the priorities of local residents.
The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at The Old School Community and Youth Center, 22057 Emma St., Mehama, and is part of a series of town hall meetings within District 17.
The district spans from East Salem through the Santiam Canyon to Idanha and includes portions of both Marion and Linn counties.
The freshman representative finished his first legislative session June 25 after being elected in 2022.
Among his policy priorities were tax breaks for survivors of the 2020 wildfires that would have frozen assessed property values at pre-fire levels. Despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill died in committee in the House.
Diehl said he will work with leadership to find a path to approval and reintroduce the proposal in a future session.
Diehl has also been an outspoken critic of policies related to drug decriminalization and gender-affirming medical care, including his work on the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee.
