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Dallas County was the first stop on State Sen. Robert Stewart’s two-month listening tour on Thursday at Arts Revive. 

Before a packed audience, Stewart, D-Selma, boasted about being back in his hometown. 

“There’s no place like home,” Stewart said. “There’s no power like people-power. We deserve to have nice things and we will get nice things.”

Stewart said the goal of the meeting was to hear the concerns of the people he represents and provide them with legislative updates.

Among the updates:

• The City of Selma will receive $750,000 for repairs to Memorial Stadium and Bloch Park, the football stadium and the baseball field where Selma High regularly plays. 
• Stewart is on eight committees, including the General Fund committee that sponsored the Child Labor Protection Bill. 

“Being busy and on so many committees is the honor of a lifetime,” Stewart said. 

Stewart and John Laney of Alabama Department of Environmental Management took questions from the audience.The audience seemed satisfied with their responses. 

Several high-profile officials attended the event: Dallas County Sheriff Mike Granthum, Dallas County Tax Collector Tamika Wagner-Neely, Dallas County Tax Assessor Carroll Bonner, State Board of Education member Tonya Chestnut, Dallas County Superintendent Anthony Sampson and former Selma City Councilwoman Angela Benjamin. 

Lowndes, Perry, Wilcox, Clarke, Conecuh, Butler and Monroe counties also are part of District 23. Stewart will appear at the Lowndes County Courthouse on June 18. On June 20, Stewart will appear at the Monroe County Courthouse.