Members of the Hamilton County delegation were peppered with questions Tuesday morning at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s legislative kickoff.
Between sips of strong coffee, state lawmakers argued over education policy and touched on the impact the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could have on the power of state government. Soon-to-be state Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Signal Mountain, also joined the group and introduced her policy ideas.
Here are five takeaways from the panel:
Immigration as a state issue
“I think you’re going to see states weighing in much more on the immigration side of things,” said state Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson. “Most people see that as a federal issue. States realize the federal government cannot solve that problem or is unwilling to solve that problem, and states are beginning now to figure out ways that states can weigh in on that.”