A joint committee on tourism and economic development also met today in northern Kentucky.

Lawmakers heard from an Eastern Kentucky broadcasting legend, Keith Case bold shared his hopes for bringing in $700 million to the eastern part of the state through the Country Music Highway.

The road runs through seven counties in eastern Kentucky, which are home to stars like Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, and Tyler Childers.

The nonprofit CMH 23 has a radio and television station dedicated to highlighting the artists and attractions along highway 23.

And it's not just the Country Music Highway, it's the whole state of Kentucky.

Now what my goal is I'm going to syndicate this channel all across Kentucky.

I'm going to go to the Kentucky broadcasters, and I'm going to offer any terrestrial radio owner from here to Paducah that wants to carry the signal.

I'm going to give it to them for free.

Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky is also planning for a tourism event of its own.

The America's River Roots Festival kicks off this fall to celebrate the country's 250th birthday.

It takes advantage of what we think is one of our top assets here, not just in Northern Kentucky, but from Asheville, Ashland to Paducah, the Ohio River.

We were so excited to see recently that our Ohio River way has been has received a national designation as a national water trail.

And we know that it is going to bring over a million visitors to this riverfront for this four day event.

The festival will feature riverboat tours, live entertainment, food and drinks.

It set to take place October 8th through the 12th on the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky River fronts.

After the meeting, we caught up with a Northern Kentucky senator to learn about what brought legislators to the region.

In total, we have about 50 legislators from your right, east to west, north to south.

The entire part of the state represented what we believe is northern Kentucky is the gateway to Kentucky, and we believe that in northern Kentucky.

But we wanted to share and show that in a more meaningful way today, where we are in Covington.

In 1983, it was one of the most blighted cities in the United States of America in 2025.

It's one of the top five states, cities in the nation, top five in the nation for walkability, economic vibrancy.

As the front door to Kentucky.

It's time to share that.

It's time to show that and really recognize throughout the state that we are one Kentucky.

And let's work together.

As part of the Nky United initiative, state lawmakers and northern Kentuckians gathered for networking events, and they're capping off the night at a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.