Josephine County, Ore. — U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is making his way across Oregon to hear from residents and county leaders all over the state.
Saturday afternoon he met with people in Josephine County.
Topics ranged from national concerns like fixing the Affordable Care Act, to local concerns like the Jordan Cove Energy Project.
Hundreds filled the Grants Pass High School Commons for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s town hall meeting in Josephine County.
It’s one of 36 town hall meetings Senator Merkley holds in Oregon each year.
“It’s very easy for members of congress to get separated from the issues that are really happening on the ground. But if you’re doing 36 town halls like I am, you’re constantly hearing about the issues on the ground,” Senator Merkley said.
Merkley spoke of big national topics like the President’s Trump Care vision, his proposed budget and the Supreme Court nomination.
Then Senator Merkley opened up the floor to community members.
One of which is Selma resident Jerry Allen.
He’s attending the town hall meeting in support of stopping the Bureau of Land Management’s Pickett West Timber Sale.
He says it’s a deal where a large block of timber would be sold for cutting in his area.
“It will wipe out habitat for many forms of wildlife, and the residual is a denuded set of hillsides and forests that ruin the scenic beauty,” Allen said.
He’s hoping Senator Merkley will support the natural selection alternative which would only take out dead and dying trees.
And while he acknowledges that the community is divided on many issues, he’s hopeful that the Oregon town hall meetings will bring positivity.
“We have to learn to figure out how can we live together and how can we live together and how can we promote things for our local and regional community that are good,” Allen said.
Senator Merkley is also holding his 300th town hall in Medford Saturday evening.
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