Hoyle Town Hall
Congresswoman Val Hoyle visited Florence yesterday for a town hall before a crowd of about 300 mainly supportive constituents. Hoyle chose two main topics that she believed were mainly bi-partisan in nature the main gist was getting big money out of politics. She brought with her the President of End Citizens United Tiffany Muller. Citizens United was a landmark 2010 Supreme Court Case that allowed for corporations to have a financial stake in elections by allowing unlimited funds to be funneled to election campaigns. Muller’s fundamental message was to return the election process to the people by rescinding Citizens United.
Audio Player“We Need to make sur that it’s the peoples voices and not just the people who write the biggest check who get the say in our Democracy.”
After Opening comments questions were fielded from the audience ranging from what the congresswoman felt about certain decisions from Senator Chuck Shumer to how do we accomplish forcing media outlets to work from the same pool of facts. Hoyle addressed the absence of the Fairness Doctrine that went away during the Reagan Administration.
Audio Player“it is on the list of things we that must do, if we are to come together as a country again, is ensure that we are operating off the same set of factual information.”
Hoyle says a bill to address that would not pass in the current makeup of the house and senate. The majority of the crowd was supportive, shy one heckler that would periodically shout from the audience. After several comments Hoyle responded.
Audio Player“I know that you think that you are being cute. Nobody thinks that you are special.”
Hoyle was addressing Dei when the heckler interrupted. She was attempting to differentiate between hiring based on merit and some of the more fringe effects of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Hoyle opened up the opportunity for those whose questions did not get answered due to time constraints with a special website that she vowed to respond to. She promised the crowd she would return for more such gatherings in the future.
School Postpones Opening
Siuslaw Valley Charter School has announced it will delay its opening until Fall 2026. The school, which has been working since 2022 to launch its classical education program, originally planned to open in September 2025. The delay comes after the latest building the school planned to lease became unavailable. Board President Kay King said, “Without a secured building, we cannot follow our original timeline.” She acknowledged the disappointment among parents and students but assured them the board remains committed to securing a location. The school continues its search for a commercial building or property and as well as a new Head of Schools. They hope to provide an update by mid-April.
Community Health Workers
Community health workers such as doulas and medical translators play vital yet often overlooked roles in public health. In Oregon, efforts are underway to formalize and sustain the community health workforce. As trusted, frontline workers, community health workers are embedded in their communities. Research shows they improve health outcomes by increasing access to preventive care such as cancer screenings. To strengthen this workforce, Oregon has partnered with Pear Suite, a digital health company co-founded by Colby Takeda.
Audio Player“Our company is all about empowering them, supporting them with a software system that allows them to document all their activities, track the needs of individuals, track how they’re getting support.”
Oregon is one of 29 states that allow services by community health workers to be reimbursed by Medicaid. Data show the skillsets are in demand, with jobs predicted to grow by 13-percent within the decade.
Legislation for Special Education
Legislation that would overhaul the way Oregon funds early childhood special education has advanced through the state House with near unanimous support, moving to the Senate Education Committee. House Bill 2682 would create an advisory committee to recommend service updates, incorporating the latest research and family experiences. Representative Courtney Neron, a Democrat from Wilsonville, is sponsoring the bill. She says the current funding model no longer reflects the reality of what it takes to support young children with disabilities, and this bill would set the state up for success.
Audio Player“This prepares us to know exactly what needs to change in our early intervention, early childhood special education to make sure that we are taking appropriate legislative next steps.”
Neron highlights the need to update the timing of special education funding, which is currently allocated in the spring. She notes that programs often grow by 40 percent during the school year, leaving staff overwhelmed with caseloads in the second half.
