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State Senator Robert Stewart held a listening session on June 13 at the Butler County Lomax-Hannon Junior College auditorium, engaging with constituents of District 23 to provide a legislative update and hear their concerns.

“These listening sessions are a great opportunity for me to get an understanding of the issues that our communities are facing so that I can better advocate for District 23 in Montgomery,” Stewart said.

The event drew a crowd of local residents, eager to discuss a range of topics with their state representative. Kenneth Crum, a Greenville resident, expressed his appreciation for the senator’s efforts.

 “For a state representative to come down to this district and first give information about the legislative processes that he is involved with and then to listen to his constituents… I can’t thank him enough,” Crum said. “We really look forward to seeing him again in the future.”

Joining Senator Stewart were Carolyn Bern, governmental sffairs director with the Alabama Department of Public Health; Corey Kirkland, health services administrator for the southeastern district of Alabama Public Health and William Autrey Lott with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. 

“I appreciate the opportunity. This is the first time that I’ve ever actually been invited to one of these sessions, so I really appreciate the chance to come and talk to people,” Lott said. “We were just talking about outreach and explaining what we do this morning, so it was a great opportunity.”

Bern echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of direct communication with citizens. 

“As the Governmental Affairs Director, I talk to water boards, sewer boards and city utilities all the time,” Bern said. “It’s rare that I get to explain it to citizens so that they understand where their tax funds are going and what it costs to maintain the environment and water pollution control.”

The session provided a platform for constituents to voice their concerns and for officials to explain their roles and responsibilities. Senator Stewart emphasized the importance of such interactions in shaping effective legislation and ensuring that community needs are met. 

The event was part of a series of listening sessions Stewart is conducting across District 23.