Community activists, residents voice concerns over Heller
February 23, 2017 - 9:13 pm
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Battle Born Progress organizer Verna Mendez speaks at Las Vegas Clark County Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Las Vegas. A chair the the name tag of Sen. Dean Heller sits off the the left. (Bridget Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bridgetkbennett
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Hundreds gathered for a town hall meeting to discuss about health care, minimum wage, immigration and protecting the environment at Las Vegas Clark County Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bridget Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bridgetkbennett
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Battle Born Progress organizer Verna Mendez speaks during a town hall meeting at Las Vegas Clark County Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Las Vegas. A suit with a name tag for Sen. Dean Heller, who has refused to host public events or town halls, sits off the the left. (Bridget Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bridgetkbennett
![](https://develop.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_lvhellerprotest-feb24-17_bb_002_8047552.jpg)
Hundreds gathered at Las Vegas Clark County Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bridget Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bridgetkbennett
![](https://develop.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_lvhellerprotest-feb24-17_bb_001_8047552.jpg)
Hundreds gathered at Las Vegas Clark County Library on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Bridget Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bridgetkbennett
Planned Parenthood and affiliated groups met in a town hall-style event Thursday night at the Clark County Library in protest of U.S. Sen. Dean Heller’s policies and his support of President Donald Trump.
Speakers voiced concerns about the future of the environment, public education, immigration, and healthcare, among other issues.
Alejandra Romero told those at the meeting that they had the power to vote to make their voices heard.
“The fight continues and Nevada did its job,” said Romero, a community organizer for CHISPA, a Latino environmental activist group.
Many complained that their voices weren’t being heard by Heller, and organizers asked them to tweet him using the hashtag #WheresHeller?
But Neal Patel, the Republican senator’s communications director, questioned the organizers’ motives.
“The organizers of this town hall had no intention of Senator Heller attending and are intentionally misleading Nevadans,” Patel said in an emailed statement. “The invitation to the town hall came late in the afternoon on the previous day. This is a ridiculous attempt by the organizers to try and discredit the Senator.”
Heller attended a similar town hall event that took place Wednesday in Carson City.
At the Las Vegas event, more than 150 people were in attendance, spilling out a side door.
Cheers and boos came periodically from the animated crowd, at one point turning into chants of “Do your job!” aimed at Heller.
Contact Brooke Wanser at bwanser@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bwanser_LVRJ on Twitter.