Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus
The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce announced plans to hold an event next month for local business leaders and others to engage with state lawmakers representing parts of Bartholomew County ahead of the 2024 legislative session.
The event, called the Legislative Preview Lunch, will be held Dec. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Columbus City Hall, 123 Washington St. While the event is open to the public, it costs $18 to attend and reservations are required, officials said.
The event seeks to allow local business leaders and others the chance to learn how decisions being made at the Statehouse can impact their businesses and engage and voice any concerns directly with state lawmakers, officials said.
Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus; Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus; and Rep. Jennifer Meltzer, R-Shelbyville, are expected to attend the event. The 2024 legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 8, officials with the Indiana Senate told The Republic.
While the Chamber has long held Third House session during legislative sessions allowing the public to interact with state lawmakers, the next month’s preview lunch is a new event, said Kami Adams, director of operations and finance at the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We heard of other chambers in the state doing an event like this, so we thought it would be a good thing to have our legislators down before the session started to let them know what is on everybody’s mind down here,” Adams said.
The chamber also plans to hold a similar event midway through the legislative session on Feb. 5 and a third event at the end of the session on March 25, Adams said. Both of those events will be free and held at Columbus City Hall.
The chamber is charging admission for next month’s event to cover the cost of food, Adams said.
