Rep. Mike Rodgers no shows Opelika town hall
Indivisible Auburn-Opelika invited community members to the Opelika public library. While, residents filled the room, one man was noticeably absent. Representative Mike Rogers was invited to the 'People's Town Hall,' but declined to attend.
Some point to a statement by house speaker mike Johnson discouraging republicans from attending town halls. But organizers say Rogers' absence is nothing new.
Indivisible Auburn – Opelika steering committee member, Lee McInnis, said, 'So as far as I can tell, Mike Rogers hasn't held a town hall meeting in eight years. So I don't think Mike Johnson saying anything would have necessarily dissuaded him from having. But I think it breaks the basic social contract that our elected representatives have. They were elected to represent the people of the third District of Alabama. If he is not going to meet with a broad spectrum of his constituents, he does not know what his constituents think and he does not know how to represent.'
This event gave experts and community members alike a chance to speak on federal issues and their experiences, from healthcare to national security. Speakers also criticized Rogers' voting record, including his support for cutting Medicare and Medicaid and voting to overturn the 2020 election results after January 6.
McInnis said, 'We wanted an opportunity to address Congressman Rogers to express to him our concerns about the direction the administration has been going in the first three months of its time in office, and to tell him that he does not necessarily have the support and concurrence of the entirety of the third Alabama Congressional District.'
Organizers say a full video of the event will be sent to Congressman Rogers' office. Whether he watches or not, these residents say their message is clear.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Colorado lawmakers tap reserve, end tax breaks to fill budget gap
Democratic leaders at the state Capitol outlined plans Tuesday to increase taxes, cut services and tap reserve funds to close a $1 billion budget hole spurred by President Trump's "big, beautiful bill." State of play: The legislation will generate fierce debate about how the state should manage its money when lawmakers return Thursday for a special legislative session. The core of the Democratic plan eliminates a handful of corporate tax breaks worth a combined $300 million to $400 million. The five-bill package will limit the business tax deduction, remove corporate tax breaks on foreign-sold goods and crack down on corporate profit shifting to tax haven countries. The intrigue: The most controversial proposal is lowering the state's 15% financial reserve by $200 million to $300 million, dropping it to 13% at a time when fiscal analysts are warning about a potential recession. Yes, but: Those moves are not enough to close a roughly $750 million gap. Instead, lawmakers will punt $300 million in spending cuts to balance the $44 billion state budget to the governor in consultation with the legislative Joint Budget Committee in the coming weeks. The governor is expected to move quickly to implement cuts by Sept. 1. What they're saying: "We're looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and making sure we can maintain strong fiscal stewardship here in Colorado," Gov. Jared Polis told Axios Denver in a recent interview. Between the lines: More than most states, Colorado is susceptible to changes in federal taxes because they affect state income taxes. The federal tax bill, known as H.R. 1, reduced the state's individual and corporate income taxes by an estimated $1.2 billion, according to the governor's office. The other side: Republican state lawmakers are touting the cuts from Trump's tax bill and pushing back against Democratic efforts to generate new tax revenue, suggesting spending cuts are what is most needed. Sen. Byron Pelton (R-Sterling) plans to introduce legislation requiring voter approval for any bill that changes state tax liability caused by federal tax law. What's next: Beyond the budget, Democratic lawmakers also plan to introduce legislation to stabilize the state's health care marketplaces amid projections that thousands of residents could lose their insurance and enable Planned Parenthood to accept Medicaid payments.
4 hours ago
Iowa US Senate candidate ends bid to run against Republican incumbent Joni Ernst
DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa Democratic state lawmaker bowed out of the 2026 U.S. Senate primary race on Monday and endorsed a fellow legislator as the 'best hope' to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who has yet to formally announce her bid for a third term. Rep. J.D. Scholten said in a statement he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Democratic Rep. Josh Turek, who launched his campaign last week. Both represent districts in counties that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in 2024. Turek joined a crowded primary field that includes state Sen. Zach Wahls, who on Monday announced the endorsement of a northeast Iowa iron workers union; Nathan Sage, a former chamber of commerce president; and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris. Eyes remain on Ernst as Republicans encountered early headaches in some of the 2026 races that will be pivotal to maintaining the party's Senate majority, including a contentious GOP primary in Texas and a surprise retirement announcement by two-term Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. After flipping pork chops last week at the Iowa State Fair, Ernst told reporters that she'd make an announcement on her own 2026 intentions in the next several weeks, adding, 'I've got a lot more work to do.' In a reelection bid, Ernst would face GOP primary challengers who include former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Navy veteran Joshua Smith. Of her Democratic competitors, Ernst said 'good for them.' 'When we see those Democrats getting in, what they're trying to do is get their name out there, but they cannot deny the fabulous agenda that President Trump has," Ernst said. 'Glad they're engaging but, you know what, they're not going to stand a chance.' Ernst announced a campaign manager in June, an October date for her annual fundraiser and has raised just shy of $1.8 million in the first half of the year. A former Army National Guard member and a retired lieutenant colonel, she was first elected to an open Senate seat in 2014. She served for several years in the No. 3 spot in the Senate GOP leadership and was considered a vice presidential contender for Trump's first White House run. She's since faced some backlash from Trump supporters, including earlier this year after signaling a hesitance to support Trump's pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. Democrats meanwhile are capitalizing on a retort Ernst made about Medicaid cuts at a town hall in May. As Ernst explained that the legislation protects Medicaid for those who need it most, someone in the crowd yelled that people will die without coverage. Ernst responded: 'People are not ... well, we all are going to die.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emmer visits St. Cloud's New Flyer, discusses Northstar's future
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., paid St. Cloud a visit Thursday morning to tour the New Flyer facility and promote President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." Emmer toured the bus manufacturing facility alongside Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marc Molinaro and local leaders like Metro Bus CEO Ryan Daniel and former Mayor Dave Kleis, chair of the Metro Bus Board of Commissioners. The visit was part of efforts to promote the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and the American manufacturing industry, which Emmer and Molinaro discussed on the tour, as well as the future of the Northstar commuter rail. "One of the greatest things about changes in administration is fresh ideas that come in," Emmer said. "Is there a way that we can get more decision making at the local level, is there a way we can make it more efficient to save costs? I'm just really excited because of the new way of looking at manufacturing." Rail service: Minnesota's Northstar commuter rail, link bus service expected to stop The new legislation signed into law in July includes many tax cuts, as well as major cuts to programs like Medicaid, SNAP and clean energy credits. This summer, the Federal Transit Administration also made $1.5 billion available to cities for new bus purchases as part of its Low or No Emission Grant Program and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. Molinaro said the bill, with its focus on American manufacturing and decreasing regulation, would likely boost production at New Flyer and support the country's public transportation industry, particularly buses. "Our public transit systems are the circulatory system of America," he said. "What the president understands... is making it easier for transit systems to make those purchases." While the two leaders celebrated the use of buses in Minnesota and nationwide, Emmer emphasized the importance of "smart transit" and criticized the Northstar commuter rail, saying the cost for the route "doesn't make any sense." After prolonged rising operational costs and low ridership, the Northstar rail is expected to make its final trip early next year. The route currently connects central Minnesota to the Twin Cities, with a train to Big Lake and the Northstar Link bus that takes passengers to St. Cloud. Light rail is not a solution to the region's public transportation needs, Emmer said, and buses can be more useful by serving people where they are rather than making people go to the train. Metropolitan Council plans to transition to bus service instead, which will only go as far north as Ramsey, according to presentation documents. Arctic Cat: Arctic Cat resumes production at St. Cloud, Thief River Falls plants A Metro Transit survey of Northstar riders also found that if it transitioned to an hourly bus service from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., about half of riders said they would be somewhat likely to use the service, with a third saying they are not at all likely to use it. "We've had this debate ongoing in this state for quite a while, how are you going to get the most bang for the dollars that you have? Light rail has not proven to be the answer to that question," Emmer said. New Flyer CEO Paul Soubry also spoke at Thursday's tour, saying the "One Big Beautiful Bill" aligns with the company's goals of stable funding, efficiency and retaining skilled workers. "What the Administrator is trying to do is streamline the way that money gets to the operators and how they buy vehicles," Soubry said. "The ability to be effective as an American employer is exactly what they're talking about." New Flyer, one of St. Cloud's largest employers, has about 900 workers at its St. Cloud facility. It produces traditional diesel, electric and natural gas-powered buses for 18 transit agencies nationwide, including Metro Transit, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Teagan King covers business and development for the St. Cloud Times. She can be reached at teking@ This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Rep. Emmer visits St. Cloud's New Flyer on Big Beautiful Bill tour Solve the daily Crossword
