- U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett is facing new calls to host an in-person town hall
- This is after Barrett's telephone town hall on Monday left some constituents with questions
- Video shows a voter putting together a petition for Lansing to host a town hall
U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Michigan) is facing calls to host an in-person town hall after a telephone town hall this past Monday.
Judy Daubenmier says she was able to get onto the telephone town hall but says she left with more questions.
"I think he only took about six questions," Daubenmier said.
"Many more people wanted to be heard."
Congressman Barrett didn't return to requests for comment on Friday.
Barrett's team told me earlier this week that it was fully-staffed and ready to organize an in-person town hall in the coming weeks.
Daubenmier says she'll believe it when she sees it.
"[Barrett] seems to be hiding from us. He's just invisible. We don't hear anything," Daubenmier said. "That's not acceptable."
Daubenmier, chair of the Livingston County Democratic Party, is collecting signatures for a petition to host a town hall in Lansing.
She and others plan to collect around 2,000 signatures and deliver them to Barrett's office in Lansing, along with an invitation to a town hall at a location to be determined.
Calls for a town hall come as House Speaker Mike Johnson tells House Republicans not to host one.
Some Republican lawmakers across the country faced backlash from voters in their district concerned about proposed cuts by the Trump Administration.
Norm Shinkle, co-chair of the Ingham County Republican Party, feels Barrett is doing a great job at communicating effectively with voters and that Democrats are trying to embarrass Barrett and other Republicans by disrupting town halls.
"Anybody that has a serious question and wants an answer, they're getting their answer," Shinkle said.
Daubenmier feels Barrett needs to face his constituents and answer their concerns.
"He needs to look people in the eye," Daubenmier said. "It's one thing to hide behind a telephone call and another thing to be in the room with people who are hurting."
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