State Rep. John J. Loughlin II is set to become Rhode Island's first Congressional challenger to host a "town hall" meeting on federal efforts to overhal the nation's health-care system.

The Tiverton Republican, who has already filed papers with the Federal Election Commission declaring candidacy in the race for the 1st Congressional District seat currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, has scheduled a meeting Wednesday night, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Brantal's Function Room and Restaurant, 91 Crandall Rd., Tiverton.

Loughln says he will videotape the event and send the DVD to Kennedy, the only member of Rhode Island's delegation not to have hosted a public forum on health care.

"I sponsored this forum because many of my constituents have questions and concerns about health-care legislation," Loughlin said, "and the congressman has yet to hold a forum open to the general public."

"I believe it's a basic duty for a very senior member of Congress to be able to stand before his constituents and answer questions. The voters of the 1st Congressional District deserve to be heard."

Kennedy hosted an invitation-only health-care forum Saturday and later explained he would not host a public event because "these town hall meetings have been hijacked by these Tea Party folks and extremists who really take away from the honest dialogue on the facts of the debate and end up seeing this issue devolve into fear mongering and the peddling of misconceptions."

He also warned that angry protesters could cause violence.

Loughlin's meeting is free and open to the public.

Special guests will include Robert D. Coli, a local physician; William Felkner, founder and president of Ocean State Policy Research Institute; Brian Bishop, director of communications for the Ocean State Policy Research Institute, who Loughlin describes as an expert on regulatory policy; and Joel Cooper, an expert in health insurance policy.

Edward J. Quinlan, president of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, had been tentatively set to appear, but had a scheduling confilct, according to Loughlin.