On Thursday, another friendly tenderloin tourney took place among lawmakers, a lobbyist, restaurant owners and even a reluctant beef farmer when Senate Bill 21 was introduced by its author, Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington.
“In 49 other states, it’s just a sandwich,” Zay said, “but in Indiana, the breaded pork tenderloin is revered.”
Although Zay’s bill may seem cheeky on paper, he said it’s actually a serious piece of legislation in the Hoosier hog-dominated economy.
The Department of Agriculture reported there are over 4 million pigs in the state of Indiana, creating a pork industry that generated $466 million in 2023.
Jeanette Merritt, director of communications for Indiana Pork, said in her testimony Thursday that Indiana is fifth in the nation for pork production, and the industry can even fuel tourism.
“Jonsey’s Junction in Akron (Indiana) is kind of in my backyard,” Merritt said. “There’s no stoplight there. It is incredibly small. Winning that bracket in a town of 1,125 people put lines out their restaurants, it put the folks at their grills working overtime, and it really did put the small town of Akron on the map.”
South of Akron in Gas City, Bill Rock of Rock’s Concession said his pork tenderloin also draws crowds.
“We have people coming from all different counties—Delaware, Madison, Huntington, Wabash—to visit Grant County to get a Rock’s Concession tenderloin,” Rock said.
Although he has tested different versions of the classic Hoosier sandwich, including the original from Nick’s Kitchen, Rock did not hesitate to plug his personal pork tenderloin during his testimony.
“I’m not going to say which one was the best,” he said, “but Grant County’s is the greatest.”
Jeananne Bailey, former owner—and mother of the current owner—of Nick’s Kitchen, said the restaurant’s pork tenderloin is one of the biggest tourism drivers in Huntington.
“They have more calls at the tourism office about hours and availability of Nick’s Kitchen than any other tourism place in Huntington County,” Bailey said. “That’s something to be very proud of.”
Bailey added that Nick’s Kitchen’s tenderloin recipe has remained true to the original, only with minor changes to the cut of meat.
As a Huntington native, it was only appropriate for Zay to advocate for his city’s treasured sandwich, but Thursday was his last day to fight for pork tenderloins as a state senator.
Zay will enter a new role next week as chair of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). He told TheStatehouseFile.com on Monday he was proud of his work on utility-related legislation during his nearly 10 years in the Indiana Senate but excited for the opportunity to improve that sector as chair of the IURC.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of finding a way to make our energy more affordable and making sure we have the reliability to meet the economic challenges of the future,” Zay said.
The final testimony on Thursday came from a sole voice of opposition: Caryl Auslander with the Jewish Community Relations Council. Auslander stated simply that Jewish Hoosiers couldn’t claim the pork tenderloin because they are religiously barred from eating pig products. She suggested making Shapiro’s Delicatessen’s pastrami on rye the official state sandwich.
But Auslander’s opposition did not last long.
Eight years ago, Zay and Auslander had a public disagreement over an education bill, which has resulted in a friendly but ongoing feud between the two.
“Its been a long eight years where I’ve been plotting my revenge, and I’m getting it done just under the wire,” Auslander said as the committee room filled with laughter. “In all seriousness, it’s been an absolute pleasure working with my friend Sen. Zay, and I appreciate his service so much. … I officially withdraw my opposition.”
Zay’s final hurdle to overcome was a fellow committee member who just happens to be a cow farmer.
“I had a real problem with this,” Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, said sarcastically. “I’m a beef farmer. The farm has been in the family since 1808. I’ve never seen a hog farm, so I had a little heartburn over this.”
To cure that heartburn and solidify his vote, Byrne took a bite of the pork tenderloin placed before him, chewed it for a moment, and then declared, “aye.” This humorous move was not lost on the crowd or committee members, as the room once again filled with laughter—a rare occurrence in the same room where the Senate Judiciary and Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committees meet.
Even Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, commented on the lightheartedness of pork tenderloins in comparison to the heaviness of topics like redistricting, doxxing and the death penalty—all subjects on the docket for the 2026 session.
“We deal with tough issues in this building, in this room, and those can divide us and divide the state,” Deery said. “I think it is a responsibility of us to embrace the thing that unites us.
“And we may jokingly debate about where the best place is or the best way to serve [a pork tenderloin sandwich], but this is part of our culture and part of our heritage, and it is important that we as a body help foster that unity in our state.”
Anna Cecil is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
