SISTERS — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden hosted a town hall meeting Saturday in the Sisters High School auditorium to answer questions from concerned constituents and discuss a wide range of topics with the crowd.

Wyden, a Democrat from Portland, fielded questions about immigration, gun control, health care and public land policies.

It was Wyden’s second stop Saturday in Central Oregon. He spent the morning in Bend, where he spoke at a Planned Parenthood press conference at the Bend Health Center.

In Sisters, more than 100 people came to see Wyden, and about a dozen were able to ask questions. The vast majority of the crowd supported Wyden and gave him a standing ovation when he entered the auditorium.

Retired Redmond resident Connie Soballe came to the town hall with her husband, Dave. The couple, who have two granddaughters, said they are especially worried about the more than 700 immigrant children still in custody at the U.S.-Mexico border who have not been reunited with their relatives through the U.S. Justice Department’s “zero tolerance policy.”

“We have stolen these children,” said Connie Soballe, who wore a T-shirt that read, “I really care. Do you?”

Soballe asked Wyden about the stranded immigrant children and the senator said he shared her frustration, and promised to remain involved in the issue.

“My conclusion thus far is the government spends a lot of time figuring out how to separate children from their parents, and not very much time on how to get them back together,” Wyden said.

Other questions during the town hall directly related to issues in Oregon, mainly the environment and the use of public lands.

Gena Goodman-Campbell — public lands coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association and a candidate for Bend City Council — expressed her concern to Wyden over a proposed federal bill to limit public land in Jefferson County for fire protection.

The Crooked River Ranch Fire Protection Act, proposed by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, would adjust the Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area boundary, removing protections from 832 acres near the edge of Crooked River Ranch.

Goodman-Campbell said she is worried the proposal does not guarantee wildfire protection to the homes in Crooked River Ranch. Wyden agreed by saying it is critically important to reach agreements on wildlife protection plans, but this proposed act needs more compromise.

“I refuse to accept the idea that we can’t find common ground here,” Wyden said. “I think we all understand these fires we are seeing today are not your grandfather’s fires. They are bigger. They are more powerful.”

The topic of gun control was also discussed. To achieve common sense gun regulations, rural Americans are the key, Wyden said.

They have grown up respecting guns and understand the importance of gun safety, Wyden said.

“I think the folks who are going to make the difference in common sense gun safety, are going to be folks in rural America and young people,” Wyden said. “They are going to be the ones who are going to make the decisions about where we go, and I think things are changing. They have to change.”

One man, a self-described conservative, spoke up at the end of the town hall to criticize Wyden on gun control.

The man said any discussion on the issue should focus on personal responsibility. Wyden welcomed the man’s input.

“If you are talking about personal responsibility and really getting at these issues, my door is open to conservatives,” Wyden said. “My door has been open to talk to people who are a part of the NRA. I think we can solve it without violating the Second Amendment.

Concerns about access to health care were also a popular town hall topic.

Retired Sisters resident Katie Martin, who wore a red, white and blue shirt that read, “Resist,” came to the town hall meeting specifically to hear from Wyden about the future of Medicare.

“I want to keep my piece of mind while I am retired,” Martin said.

Martin wasn’t alone. A group of people who support the proposed Medicare for All Act brought a large banner that showed their support.

Wyden noticed the banner and welcomed group members to take turns speaking.

Wyden listened and then assured them and the crowd that he will continue to work on access to health care.

“I consider health care to be far and away the most important issue,” Wyden said. “So there is no confusion on this, I believe health care is a basic human right.”

By the end of the 90-minute town hall meeting, Wyden thanked the crowd for spending a part of their sunny Saturday afternoon inside an auditorium to talk over the most important issues facing the nation.

“This is the way that democracy is supposed to look,” Wyden said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com