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TUCSON - What was supposed to be a light hearted, bi-partisan event to bring the community together has turned in to a gathering surrounded by controversy.

Billed as the "Ward 6 Roast" it is scheduled to take place this Monday at the Loft Cinema.

City Councilman Steve Kazachik invited all elected officials in Ward 6 to participate, including Ron Barber and Raul Grijalva. Daily Star cartoonist David Fitzsimmons has been tapped to emcee the event to provide good natured ribbing. A great forum for the public and the elected to bond.

The rumbling started when it was pointed out that the event only involved two republicans.
The rumbling started when it was pointed out that the supposed bi-partisan panel contained only two republicans. Steve Kozachik says the critics opened the floodgates after he talked about guns, "Coming out and even raising the issue of firearms has just illicited a visceral reaction from people who consider the discussion of firearms to be tantamount to the desecration of some religious icon."

Most of the criticism has come from gun advocates. But NRA Board Member, Todd Rathner, says his organization is not encouraging any members to crash the event, "We did not encourage them to go to this particular meeting, we didn't know anything about the meeting and frankly we don't care about the meeting", said Rathner, "but if gun owners want to exercise their 1st amendment right in order to protect their second amendment right then more power to them."

To discourage any disruptions there will now be no open microphone at the event. Written questions must now be submitted, bags will be checked at the door and no guns will be allowed in the theater.