Ep. 43: Inside the Tennessee Legislature with Longtime Nashville Lobbyist, Brian Bivens

Tennessee’s legislature isn’t just partisan—it’s often polarizing. Inside the House chambers, Democrats and Republicans disparage one another, at times—outside, they rarely engage.

Has the proverbial political aisle been stretched too far to reach across?

It wasn’t always this way. There was once camaraderie and compromise.

Few understand this culture shift better than Brian Bivens. The East Tennessee native has spent the last 25 years lobbying elected officials.

But Bivens bent ears long before he was in the business of bending ears. His father, Steve Bivens, served in the State House from 1978 to 1992. The Cleveland guidance counselor was the House Majority Whip at a time when Democrats ruled the roost.

In this episode of Climbing the Charts, Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller sit down with Bivens to examine Tennessee’s legislature—its present, past, and personalities.