In Kingsport, Tennessee, residents had the chance to receive a firsthand update on this year’s legislative session during a special event on Wednesday evening. Prominent lawmakers gathered to share insights and engage with the community in a casual setting.
The 21st annual Legislative BBQ kicked off at 5:30 p.m. at Cleeks Farm, creating a welcoming environment for people across the Tri-Cities area to connect with their elected representatives amidst the laid-back ambiance of a cookout.
Among the speakers were influential figures including State Senator Bobby Harshbarger, State Representatives John Crawford, Timothy Hill, and Bud Hulsey, as well as Comptroller Jason Mumpower. Members of the Tennessee Chamber were also present, contributing to the dialogue and discussion.
“This event mirrors the experience of a favorite summer barbecue with friends,” noted Nicole Austin, Chief Public Affairs Officer at the Kingsport Chamber. “Over the decades, it has become a cherished community tradition.”
Harshbarger spoke with News Channel 11 about some of his plans moving into next year’s session.
He said this past session was busy and he’s going to take time to put together his agenda.
“In all full transparency, I really don’t have any agenda items, per se,” Harshbarger said. “For me personally, you know, I did take a pretty heavy lift this last session dealing with insurance companies, vertical integration. So this year, I might try to look at something a little bit, take a little bit less bite out of the apple.”
Harshbarger added that the upcoming session will include a lot of change.
“In the Senate, we will have new leadership. So we’ll have a new lieutenant governor that could equal new chairmen, that could equal new committees. So it will be exciting. And on top of that, we’ll have a new governor, whoever that might be. So there’ll be a lot of change, new commissioners, new department heads. So time will tell the closer we get to the second week in January,” Harshbarger told News Channel 11.
Harshbarger added that there two things he is looking to accomplish this session.
“One thing that I’ve been personally looking at is regional airport development, specifically with our smaller airport, such as Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, Jackson Airport. So that’s something I want to try my best to increase traffic so we increase tourism. We increase economic development that way,” Harshbarger told News Channel 11.
The 115th General Assembly convenes on Jan. 12.
Todd Meade and Tyler Hughes of the Empty Bottle String Band were entertainment for the event.