20th District lawmakers to host unique town hall on Sept. 20
CONTACT: John Handy, Communications Director for Rep. Ed Orcutt | 360-786-5758
John Sattgast, Senior Public Information Officer for Rep. Peter Abbarno | 360-786-7257
20th District lawmakers to host unique town hall on Sept. 20
Residents of the 20th Legislative District are invited to a town hall meeting with their state legislators Monday evening, Sept. 20, and it’ll be up to them to decide how they participate. The drive-in town hall will offer an experience to meet with legislators in person, with a live stream virtual component.
Sen. John Braun, Rep. Ed Orcutt and Rep. Peter Abbarno will be at the Veterans Memorial Museum, 100 S.W. Veterans Way, in Chehalis from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday. They’ll be outdoors where many events have been held in the past. People who attend in person can drive up, listen from inside or outside their vehicles, and ask questions directly; those who do not will be able to view the meeting via live streams on multiple social-media platforms, and submit questions in advance.
“Some people will be comfortable being there in person, and we’ll be happy to see them. At the same time we wanted to accommodate those who would prefer to participate at a distance or simply can’t make it to the meeting,” said Abbarno, R-Centralia.
“Many in our district are rightfully concerned about the vaccine and mask mandates handed down by the governor in recent weeks. There’s also a lot of frustration about this never-ending state of emergency. The people deserve to be heard, and the format of this town hall should allow them to be heard both clearly and safely,” said Braun, R-Centralia.
“In addition to citizens’ concerns over the governor’s mandates, they are concerned over the looming long-term care act and impacts on public safety now that bills from 2021 have gone into effect – concerns we have heard and are working to address,” said Orcutt, R-Kalama. “But, there often are other issues which may affect a few or may affect many. This town hall gives citizens a chance to express concerns about any of the issues they face.”
Questions may be submitted in advance to John.Braun@leg.wa.gov, with “town hall question” in the subject line.
Because the town hall is outdoors and there’s a chance of inclement weather, those who drive up will have the option of remaining inside their vehicles and listening to the town hall via live stream or radio broadcast.
