This is certainly not good for optics.
Pennsylvania State Senator Scott Martin (Lancaster County) was recorded sticking his finger in the face of a female constituent last night as she confronted him over "disparaging remarks" the senator made about immigrants in a private meeting. Hines told the Senator that she transcribed the comments Martin made in the meeting and said "you said they come here, and they dont hold our American values. They bring their own values."
The confrontation happened between Michele Hines, a member from Lancaster Stands Up, and the Senator at the end of a raucous town hall. Senator Martin was confronted multiple times throughout the town hall on his immigration stance and his vote on Senate Bill 10, which would defund sanctuary cities.
Senator Martin also came under heat for holding an emergency preparedness seminar earlier this month. The senator invited North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum's former Chief of Staff Ron Rauschenberger and other North Dakota officials responsible for the crackdown on Standing Rock demonstrators to the seminar via Skype, and during the seminar, Senator Martin admitted that he is drafting legislation targeting private landowners who allow demonstrators to hold up the construction of the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline. His proposed bill would landowners financially responsible for public costs if any demonstrators are arrested rioting or causing a public nuisance. Senator Martin's bill will be the second senate bill to target pipeline demonstrators. The other bill was introduced by State Senator Mike Regan and his bill will charge demonstrators with a class two felony for inhibiting or impeding the construction of a pipeline.