CLARKSVILLE, TN − In a collaborative effort, the Houston County Democrats and Indivisible TN7 held a bi-county town hall for the residents of Stewart and Houston Counties. While Tennessee District 7’s Congressman, Mark Green, has thus far refused to hold a Town Hall for his constituents, other Tennessee politicians drove in from around the state to meet with them. The panelists for the open-forum event included Knoxville State Representative Gloria Johnson, Clarksville State Representative Ronnie Glenn, and Policy Expert Kiran Sreepada. Community members from both counties attended and asked questions, shared testimonials and discussed important legislation affecting their towns. The topics discussed included Medicare, Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Education and several others.
Citizens expressed specific concerns about recent legislation that proposes to dismantle the Department of Education, as this would eliminate funding for Special Education Services. One resident, though loathe to speak in public, stepped to the podium to express her fears regarding RFK Jr.’s proposal to compile a registry of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder and how it would impact her non-verbal ASD-diagnosed son. Another gave voice to her fear that without Medicaid and its funding, the local hospital would be forced to close. An upcoming high school student even voiced concerns about cell phone policies in school.
The panelists answered questions, gave insight into legislation and its effects, and sympathized with those in the audience. For Stewart and Houston County residents in attendance, it was a relief to have their concerns heard. Representative Gloria Johnson stated, “I go where the people are- especially when their own Congressman is too scared or too lazy to show up. If the folks in Congressional District 7 can’t get answers from the politician they elected, I’m more than happy to show up and fill the silence. It’s called ‘doing the job.” The Houston County Democrats and Indivisible TN7 thank the panelists for their time and encourage all citizens to familiarize themselves with legislation, call their representatives and become politically active in their communities.