Kaitlyn Wimmer

On April 26, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon hosted his Marion County Town Hall at the Salem Campus. 

Introduced by Salem Mayor Chris Hoy, Merkley provided updates on his focuses in the U.S. Senate. He then took questions from the 30 or so people in attendance. While some attendees were Chemeketa staff and students, most were members of the public. 

The Senator responded to questions regarding rising tuition costs in the wake of President Biden’s efforts to provide student loan forgiveness, questions about military spending relating specifically to the conflict in Gaza and student protests that have garnered international attention, and the Department of Education’s consideration of rule changes to textbook fees being incorporated into the cost of tuition. 

At one point, three pro-Palestinian protestors shouted in support of Gaza, but the town hall was not disrupted.