On the Issues

OPEN THE ECONOMY

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

I have been urging our government leaders to make more allowances for small businesses during this time. It is imperative that we keep our economy healthy and open so that we can maintain adequate resources, and so Kentuckians can provide for their essential needs. Businesses remaining closed affects everything from pensions to school funding, social security, and every other aspect of our lives. Our goal should be to have our kids back in school and get people back to work.

As Chairman of our Senate Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee, I fight each session to prevent bad policy from hampering our local businesses. I have spent a great deal of effort working to improve our business climate and have experience as past president of Boone County’s Business Association. I have been humbled by the support my campaign has received from our local businesses, including my endorsements from the Realtors Association and Northern Kentucky Home Builders Association.

 

GET OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL

We must get our kids back in school. The success of Kentucky is closely tied to how well we educate our future community. After receiving my Master’s in Public Administration, I began teaching at Northern Kentucky University. I have been happy to pass on advice to our next generation of thinkers and job-creators. Their education is of utmost importance to a stable economy. Since my election to the state Senate, I have been dedicated to school funding efforts – and any effort to keep schools and extracurricular school programs open. I have a reputation for working across party lines and with people with different points of view to implement solutions for our kids.

 

BETTER HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF BOONE COUNTY

The status quo has to go. Health care should be about providing services to improve quality of life rather than increasing profit margins. I was proud to support a number of healthcare bills during the 2020 session which seek to improve our quality of care in the Commonwealth. Senate Bill 30 sought to reduce costs for medical providers. I have also been honored with a healthcare leadership award for my dedication to health care issues and will keep working to expand care to our most rural areas.

 

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE & TRAFFIC

Congestion is a big problem in Boone County and an issue I have worked to rectify. During my time in the Kentucky Senate, I have helped secure over 6 hundred million dollars in road infrastructure for Boone County in the past 3 years alone. I have worked to secure federal funds for our roads – working with the United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Cho in Washington D.C., KY Transportation Secretary Jim Gray in Frankfort, Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore, Chair of the Transportation Subcommittee Rep Sal Santoro, and Kentucky House and Senate colleagues.

 

PROMOTE DISTILLERS, CRAFT BREWERS & SMALL SCALE WINERIES

I was proud to sponsor Senate Bill 11 in 2016 which modernized Kentucky’s alcohol industry. This historic legislation has since worked to maximize the economic impact of bourbon across the globe. The legislation also marked the birth of the craft beer and small-farm wine industries in Kentucky. Small-farm wineries have since rejuvenated our rural areas creating tourism. Craft brewers have reinvigorated local cities. The Bourbon Trail…speaks for itself. Senate Bill 11 jumpstarted all of this economic development and created a number of high-paying jobs in our communities.

 

TRANSPARENT & EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT

When our local families tighten their pocketbooks, so too should government. I will fight to pass conservative state budgets and root out waste, fraud, and abuse in all areas of government. Let’s make sure government is working smarter with our hard-earned dollars.

 

 

STAND UP FOR KENTUCKY FAMILIES 

FIGHTING FOR OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES & FREEDOMS:

• 100% PRO-LIFE VALUES
  I am the only candidate in this race to be endorsed by both Northern Kentucky Right to Life and Kentucky Right to Life. I’m a big defender of our civil liberties; I am 100% pro-life and pro-family. The American Conservative Union Foundation recently rated my voting record for conservative issues at a 92%, one of the top 2 best ratings in Kentucky. I was humbled to receive ACU’s Award for Conservative Excellence. There is a wide range of public issues that come before the Kentucky Senate and we need leadership that reflects our values.

 

• 2^ND AMENDMENT DEFENDER
  We should be able to protect our families, ourselves and our property. I will always stand tall for our constitutional rights including, and especially, the right to bear arms. During the 2019 session, we worked hard to keep intact the Second Amendment. While others work to limit our constitutionally-protected rights I will fight to prevent this bad policy from becoming our reality.

 

COMMUNITY SAFETY & LAW ENFORCEMENT

I served in law enforcement for 40 years before my retirement. I stand with our local police and am humbled to be supported by local law enforcement. I will always put the safety of our residents first. I was also proud to be a part of school safety legislation during the 2020 session which requires trained and certified school resource officers as well as at least one school-based mental health services provider for every 250 students. This bill was a continuation of the General Assembly’s efforts to increase safety within our school walls.

 

I also believe that our residents deserve fair and equal representation under the law. I have been a big proponent of better access to post-conviction DNA evidence – helping pass legislation in Kentucky in 2013 to address post-conviction DNA testing. For anyone who is not familiar with this kind of legislation, most Kentuckians convicted of violent crimes were previously not able to access DNA testing that could provide evidence of their innocence. This legislation (HB 41 and SB 23, 2013) allows for much more access to DNA in hopes that our citizens may have more confidence and faith in our state’s legal system. I was honored to receive an award from the Innocence Project for my work on this bill.

 

BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE SUFFERING FROM DRUG ADDICTION

Thank you to all the hard working men and women in your fight against this devastating problem. I believe the answer to this scourge includes much stiffer penalties and longer sentences for drug dealers. I also support programs which help people addicted to drugs rehabilitate themselves.

 

SUPPORT OUR VETERANS & OUR TROOPS

We owe it to ourselves to honor our courageous men and women in the field. During the 2020 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, I was pleased to file Senate Joint Resolution 136. This legislation honorably named a portion of KY Route 338 the “Gary Leslie Moore Memorial Highway.” Another great example of local bravery was honored during the 2018 session, when we designated a portion of Kentucky Route 20 the “Sgt. Charles Fleek Memorial Highway.” A bit of history for you:  Charles Fleek is the only person from Boone County to ever receive the nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

This is just a small way that our district gives thanks to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. I look forward to other ways we can work together to thank our servicemen and women who do so much for our communities.