Getting Results for a Better Tomorrow

Economy

Over the past several years, a $50,000 wage earner is now seeing a permanent savings of $1,250 per year as a result of Ken’s leadership and vision on tax modernization initiative in 2018.

These savings reflect a 40% personal income tax rate drop so that you can save, invest or spend your money as you see fit. That really helps in these inflationary times.

As a small business owner, Ken understood that restructuring the business tax structure such as taxes on LLETs and pass-through entities allows businesses to reinvest in hiring employees or buying equipment.

Kentucky’s financial structure and outlook are strong by shifting the commonwealth’s tax structure from an income base to a consumption tax base while not increasing the sales tax and putting limits on the administration’s spending.

The results from changing our tax structure and controlling spending have provided an investment starting in July 2024 of nearly $1.2 billion for Jefferson and Oldham Counties that is targeted for human services and transportation needs.  Workforce is vital to our economy and through his leadership, Ken sponsored three workforce initiatives pertaining to healthcare (HB 200), aviation (SB127/HB345) and mental health (HB56).

In looking forward, Ken will push to put more money in your pocket, strengthen workforce initiatives, and support businesses through policies so that they can attract and retain employees to help build a better community.

• Continue to phase out state personal income tax for families
• Advocate to eliminate the extra tax on the reformulated gas tax, saving over $.30 per gallon
• Help reduce re-employment constraints by strengthening better childcare workplace environments, including expectant mothers and parents of newborns, and eldercare policies for families to return to work
• Support business-friendly policies to increase workforce participation and reduce regulations to allow greater business growth and expansion
• Fight state and federal overreach and inflationary spending

2024 Greater Louisville Inc Statesman

Crime & Public Safety

Jefferson and Oldham counties have experienced increased crime, and Ken co-sponsored Safer Kentucky Act (HB 5) which is a comprehensive bill that includes:

• getting repeat violent and persistent felony offenders off the streets;
• regulating bail funding organizations; 
• creating a statute for carjacking;
• removing early release for criminals using guns in crimes;
• cracking down on drive by shootings;
• increasing penalties for those who flee the police; and 
• hardening sentences for adults using juveniles as criminal accomplices, especially in drug transactions.

Ken is an experienced leader who knows the community and will build upon the Safer Kentucky Act by working with LMPD and Oldham County police. Ken will continue to help stop the wave of crime threatening our families, property, and schools. He will continue to prioritize your safety through:

• Fighting crime by working in a collaborative, cooperative way with local government, fully funding police, enforcing stronger policies and supporting programs to deter crimes
• Continuing  to strengthen school safety in the classroom and on the bus
• Strengthening juvenile justice programs  
• Funding stronger wrap around treatment programs for addicts to get them off the streets

Education

Every child should have access to the best education in a safe environment. Ken is keenly aware of the challenges JCPS and OCPS face and these are  a few of the policies he supported to mitigate these challenges: 

HB 6 –  increased to record levels in SEEK (including full day kindergarten), fully funding transportation costs which would free up millions to be reallocated to teachers’ salary as well as hire more bus drivers, increased funding for School Safety and Resiliency Act, and $450 million above the accrual and statutory requirement for teachers’ retirement contributions

HB 377 – provided teachers’ stipends up to $5,000 and loan forgiveness

HB 446 – gave bus drivers more authority in keeping discipline on the buses

HB 611 – moved one step closer in addressing better attendance by placing more accountability on the parents if the student misses more than 15 days without an excuse

HB 447 – allowed for use of certain types of vans to get children home earlier

HCR 81 –  established a task force to review JCPS Board’s functionality, effectiveness, efficiency and structure 

SB 9 – sets up the building blocks of reading proficiency and provides evidence-based early literacy instruction by investing in teachers to increase student success in reading

As we move forward, a pillar of a successful community and state is to have a strong education system that puts our children on a solid foundation. We need to continue our focus in the classrooms to attract more teacher talent, protect our children so they have the opportunity to learn, and ease financial restraints for schools to flourish. 

• Provide parents the choice for the best educational opportunities for their children
• Continue to increase K-12 SEEK funding and support teachers with higher pay and by relieving constraints that burden them with paying for resources out of their pocket
• Assist students who need mental health support 
• Provide a safer learning environment 
• Support education workforce programs by training more people to become teachers

2024 Kentucky Students Rights Coalition Advocate

Healthcare

From cracking down on sexual harassment in the workplace and  increasing funding for violence against women to helping reduce healthcare costs, Ken’s healthcare experience in the mental health field has fueled his commitment to provide affordability and accessible healthcare. 

Ken co-sponsored HB 10 –  Maternal Health (or Momnibus) that: 

• adds pregnancy to the list of qualifying life events for health insurance coverage;
• provides psychiatry consultation during and after pregnancy;
• assists with education on safe sleep;
• expanded the HANDS program for voluntary home visitation for  expectant and new parents, with many of the services  extended until the child is three months old

He recognizes the shortage of healthcare providers and was the lead sponsor of HB 200 which is now a national model being considered by the US Congress. This bill establishes a public and private partnership where private money is matched dollar for dollar by state funds and targeted for scholarships and hiring additional teachers and equipment. The General Assembly allocated $10 million for a total investment of $20 million.

Over the years as a State Representative, Ken has leveraged his background to provide more support for mental health services to children, law enforcement, women (before and after pregnancy) and addicts.  Some of these bills include: 

• 24-hour mental health access for adolescents; 
• PTSD treatment for law enforcement officers and their families; 
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment program to help keep addicts off the streets and out of jail; and
• psychiatry care during and after pregnancy

Finally, after several years of trying to drive medication costs down, we passed SB 188 that will help lower these costs by allowing patient pharmacy choice, ensure patient pharmacy access, and guarantee fair pharmacy reimbursements.

In looking at the future, Ken will continue to look for opportunities to further reduce the cost of drug prescriptions, strengthen mental health programs, improve transport ambulatory care, and to enhance the doctor-patient relationship. 

• Strengthen mental health and support services to victims of rape/incest
• Support better wrap around services for women’s health
• Enhance funding and strengthen policies to expand mental health wellness services
• Improve healthcare services and accessibility for low-income Kentuckians
• Assist “sandwich generation” while juggling kids and aging parents

With Medicaid as one of the two largest budget allocations, we need to look at internal operations of administering programs so that savings can be appropriated to the healthcare needs of those who are least among us.

2022 Kentucky Hospital Association Champion

Transportation

As a member of the Transportation Committee, Ken helped spearhead over $500 million in transportation funding for Jefferson and Oldham Counties. This includes starting the design work for sound walls on I-71, releasing funding of $10 million to start the construction of Watterson Expressway and Brownsboro Road interchange, putting in a stop light on KY1694 at Norton Commons and Stone School Road, and improving parts of KY 22 near Springcrest Road.

Future US42 interchange with I-264

• Secured funding for the redesign and construction of US 42/Watterson Expressway interchange
• Continue to fight for sound walls along I-71 and Gene Snyder Expressway between US 42 and I-71 
• Reduce congestion by securing funding for widening I-71
• Secure funding to improve the turning lane for south US 22 onto west Gene Snyder Expressway so that traffic flows better
• Improve safety by adding a turn lane on east US 22 at the Briar Hill neighborhood in Oldham County

I-264/Brownsboro Road Interchange Town Hall Meeting

Proposed sound wall along I71 at Barbour Manor/Springdale Rd