Sen. Casey plans town halls across Pennsylvania

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey announceda series of town halls across the state, beginning later this month, citing growing calls from constituents for the face-to-face meetings.

The time and place of the first, which will be in Philadelphia on March 12, is still to-be-determined, Casey said in a tweet.

“Having heard the demand of constituents for town hall-style events, Casey will convene this event to engage directly with his constituents,” a statement from the senator’s office reads.

Both Casey and his Republican counterpart Sen. Pat Toomey have faced criticism — though from different sources — for their presence in the public eye, or lack thereof.

Casey was cited in an Associated Press report as one of many “vulnerable” Democratic senators who are avoiding town hall meetings. Meanwhile, protesters have convenedoutside Toomey’sPhiladelphia officeevery weekfor three months, demanding a public meeting.

Eleven people were cited for disturbing the peace after staging a sit-in at Toomey’s office on Tuesday, local news media reported. The protesters were demanding that Toomey schedule a town hall meeting.

Toomey’s first town hall of the yearwas held as a phone conference on Feb. 16; he gained more backlash for its short notice and duration than praise for hearing his constituents.

On the the Dom Giordano radio show Wednesday morning, Toomey said he plans to hold a town hall in the future, but didn’t offer further details. There are no town halls currently on his schedule, his office told Metro.