Rep. Diehl: Remove discrimination in Gov’t grants

By Representative Ed Diehl,

March 18, 2025 — As recently reported by Oregon Roundup, the Oregon Department of Education, through the rule-making process, distributed summer school grant funds based on race and ethnicity in direct violation of both the Oregon and US constitutions.

Today Oregon Roundup reported that House Democrats are fast-tracking legislation to remove racial criteria from the state’s Summer Grant Program, with a hearing tomorrow on a forthcoming amendment to HB 2007.

“Schools primarily serving white students, including those with economically disadvantaged students, were placed at the back of the line,” said Representative Ed Diehl (R-Stayton). “Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.”

Rep. Diehl has introduced HB 2427 that directs the Department of Justice to review state statutes and rules for discriminatory language and constitutionality.

“These are not outdated laws from the past; they were enacted within the last five years,” said Rep. Diehl. “I am calling for an immediate Hearing and Work Session on HB 2427 to start the process of removing these discriminatory statutes and rules.”

Another example is SB 1579 (2022) that established the Economic Equity Investment Program which the state’s own legislative counsel determined would not survive a constitutional challenge. Here is a link to that Legislative Counsel opinion.

“I believe in equality and a color-blind society where everyone is treated equally regardless of skin color,” said Rep. Diehl. “It’s imperative that our laws are just and do not discriminate based on race or ethnicity.”

The Summer Grant Source Data is available upon request.