January 06, 2021

Wyden Will Hold First Virtual Town Halls of 2021 Next Week

Live on-line town halls hosted by Town Hall Project will be for residents of Coos, Curry, Gilliam, Grant, Lane, Sherman, Washington and Wheeler counties

Portland – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have his first live on-line town halls of 2021 next week hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Coos, Curry, Gilliam, Grant, Lane, Sherman, Washington and Wheeler counties

A two-time winner of Town Hall Project’s MVP award as well as a winner of Town Hall Project’s Democracy Defender award, Wyden has held 970 in-person town halls statewide in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties.

Wyden has postponed in-person town halls until there are clear-cut public health guidelines that a large open-to-all public meeting poses no unusual health risk for Oregonians. After the pandemic in March 2020 required Wyden’s town halls to go virtual, he held multiple regional and statewide virtual town halls hosted by Town Hall Project.

“With the start of a new year, a new Senate and a new administration, I am eager to continue the conversations with Oregonians to hear firsthand about their views and priorities,” Wyden said. “While the coronavirus public health crisis puts in-person town halls on a temporary hold, these first virtual town halls of 2021 channel the best of the ‘Oregon Way’ to figure out solutions that allow these civil conversations to continue.”

The virtual town hall schedule is as follows:

  • Gilliam, Grant, Sherman and Wheeler counties, 10 am PT, Monday, Jan. 11, link to watch
  • Lane County, noon PT, Thursday, Jan, 14, link to watch
  • Coos and Curry counties, noon PT, Friday, Jan. 15, link to watch
  • Washington County, noon PT, Sunday, Jan. 17, link to watch

For Oregonians in all these counties who want to submit questions for Senator Wyden, here’s the link.

"Town Hall Project was founded on the conviction that in-person town halls are essential to our democracy,” said Nathan Williams, Executive Director of Town Hall Project. “But during this global pandemic, we strongly encourage all lawmakers to prioritize the health of their constituents and to suspend indoor in-person gatherings,

“It's more important than ever that elected leaders stay connected to their constituents, so we urge lawmakers to hold virtual town halls that are open dialogues with the people they represent,” Williams said. “Town Hall Project is proud to be hosting another open, substantive virtual forum between Senator Wyden and his fellow Oregonians."