28-04-2025
Rep. Mike Rodgers no shows Opelika town hall
OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) — In East Alabama, frustration is growing over what some residents call a long silence from their elected representative. Thursday night, one organization decided to hold its own public meeting.
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
