On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) delivered remarks on administrative updates.
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Andy, and welcome to... We're getting just a little feedback.
00:00:10Great. I'm Andy, and welcome to this week's Team Kentucky update. It's been a couple of
00:00:17weeks since we've had a Team Kentucky update, so we have a lot of good news today. And we'll
00:00:22start where we always do, with great economic development news. Since the beginning of my
00:00:28administration, we have now announced over 1,000 new location and expansion projects
00:00:34that total an investment of nearly $32 billion and have created more than 54,700 new jobs.
00:00:42These projects keep coming, and they are exciting. Earlier this week, two industry publications
00:00:49recognized our economy and how it continues to be on fire. Business Facilities Magazine
00:00:56and Site Selection Magazine both highlighted Kentucky and several of our local communities
00:01:01for job growth and business development. Business Facilities ranked Kentucky in the top 10 of
00:01:08three industry categories, food processing, automotive, and EV investment. And they recognized
00:01:15Lexington in the top 10 for best business climate of large metros. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati
00:01:21Northern Kentucky region ranked in the top 10 for best business climate of midsize metros
00:01:27and placed fourth as a tech talent leader among communities with its labor pool size.
00:01:33The magazine recognized both Louisville and the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky region in
00:01:38its 2024 metro rankings for manufacturing hubs and logistics leaders. With Cincinnati
00:01:45Northern Kentucky placing in the top 10 on the small manufacturing hubs list, and Louisville
00:01:50recognized in the top three for the logistics leaders category.
00:01:56Site Selection Magazine also released its 2024 rankings of America's best counties,
00:02:01with Kentucky having four of the Commonwealth's communities placing on that list. Allen, Carroll,
00:02:09Ohio and Simpson counties each placed in the top 20 based on points per capita. Ohio County
00:02:16landed in the top 10, along with Carroll County, which placed fourth nationally. I'm
00:02:23happy to welcome today some of these local community leaders to our update. I'd like
00:02:28to welcome Carroll County Judge Executive David Wilhoy, Executive Director of the Kentucky
00:02:33I-71 Economic Development Alliance, Matthew Adkins. Come on up as we read your name. Executive
00:02:41Director of the Ohio County Economic Development Alliance, Jason Chen. If you all would join
00:02:46us to share a few words. Jason, you want to kick us off? All right. Good to see you.
00:02:55It's good to see you. Thank you. I've seen Ohio County with checks. Governor, thank you.
00:02:59Thank you for this honor and thank Site Selection Magazine for seeing the hard work that the
00:03:04governor has put in and his staff. Without your leadership, Andy, we wouldn't be in this
00:03:10position. I'm glad that your focus hasn't been solely on the Golden Triangle. You see
00:03:15the value in stepping outside of that area, both east and west, and we're happy to share
00:03:21this honor with you and appreciate you and look forward to seeing you in Ohio County.
00:03:28Thank you. Congratulations. Excited to have you. Thank you. Our Site Selection Magazine
00:03:43recognized the recognition of Carroll County as number four on its list of America's Best
00:03:49Counties per capita. It is a testimony, a testament of our county's hard work, dedication
00:03:56provided to its residents and quality, high-paying jobs. We are deeply grateful to our local
00:04:02and regional and state partners whose support and collaboration have been instrumental in
00:04:08making these accomplishments possible. We look ahead. We are not just aiming to be back
00:04:17on the list next year, but we are to be at the very top. We would like to express our
00:04:22gratitude, Governor Beshear, for his continued support, economic development initiatives,
00:04:29Carroll County as well as our I-71 region. And for his continued hard work in making
00:04:36sure Kentucky is seen as the place to start and grow your business. We thank you. Also,
00:04:43Matt Atkins is with me here. If you'd like to step up here, he's our person here for
00:04:49Carroll County and economic development. So I would like to thank everyone for this. Thank
00:04:54you very much. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Congratulations.
00:05:05We also have video messages from Allen County Judge Executive Dennis Harper and Simpson
00:05:09County Judge Executive Mason Barnes. Hi, I'm Dennis Harper, Allen County Judge Executive.
00:05:17Allen County is truly honored to be recognized as one of the top 20 counties in the nation
00:05:22by Site Selection Magazine. We are the birthplace of Dollar General Corporation. We have a 200-acre
00:05:28industrial site with all utilities and various other sites around the county. The four major
00:05:33employers are Dollar General Corporation, Smuckers and Crustables Corporation, Sumitomo,
00:05:39and the Halton Corporation. We broke ground today on a $100 million Bellmark facility that will
00:05:45employ 160 people at a rate of $37 per hour, including benefits. We have numerous quality
00:05:52of life projects ongoing, including two reconstructions of existing playgrounds,
00:05:57making one an inclusive playground, a new skate park, and a new 60-acre recreational park.
00:06:04Money is also now being raised for a $6.5 million community center, which will include
00:06:09new gymnasiums. We also share Bear River Lake and numerous other activities. Once again,
00:06:17we are truly honored. God bless America, God bless the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
00:06:23and God bless Allen County. Thank you and have a great day.
00:06:27I want to first say that I regret not being able to be there in Frankfort with you today. I would
00:06:31have loved to have been there to be a part of this announcement that the Governor is making,
00:06:36but my schedule just would not allow me to be in Frankfort today. So, I had no idea really that
00:06:43Simpson County had been named 19th in the nation per capita in economic development performance
00:06:52until I got the email from the Governor's office. I have to admit that was some very exciting news
00:06:58for us. It's a big accomplishment in a small community to be ranked in the top 20 in the
00:07:05entire nation in economic development performance, so we're pretty proud of that. But you have to
00:07:11understand, too, that these things do not happen in a vacuum. It's not just one person or just even
00:07:16one group that makes so many things like this happen. So, it's good teamwork here locally,
00:07:22you know, having a really good and strong economic development director is a big help.
00:07:26But quite honestly, Governor Beshear and his team with Rocky Atkins and the Economic Development
00:07:35Cabinet, they do a tremendous job working with local communities to make sure that we have the
00:07:41tools and the resources that we need to be successful. And they also understand that when
00:07:46the small local communities are successful, the entire state becomes more successful. So, I
00:07:52appreciate their help and determination and dedication in what they've done here in the
00:07:57Commonwealth, and I just hope that we continue this strong progress and that things continue
00:08:03to move forward not only here in Simpson County, but across the entire Commonwealth.
00:08:08Thank you very much. Well, congratulations to these four communities. They're making us proud.
00:08:16They are helping us continue the biggest, best economic development win streak in our lifetime,
00:08:21and we look forward to a lot of other counties making that list in the years to come.
00:08:26Moving on to company announcements, I want to start by highlighting JQOL Global, a certified
00:08:32minority business enterprise and full-service civil engineering firm. The company plans to
00:08:37locate a new facility in Louisville, creating 113 full-time Kentucky jobs with a $6.4 million
00:08:45investment. And these are great jobs, with an average total hourly compensation of more than
00:08:51$59 an hour, including benefits. The new facility will serve as the company's second Kentucky
00:08:57location. They have an existing location in Owensboro. I want to thank the company's leadership,
00:09:02and we look forward to their continued success. I also want to highlight growth in Kentucky's
00:09:07health care industry, with Thermo Fisher Scientific announcing plans at the end of
00:09:12June to locate a new lab operation in Covington. The company's investing $48 million and creating
00:09:1869 additional Kentucky jobs. Thermo Fisher has operated a central lab operation in Highland
00:09:25Heights since 2002. It plans to expand its central laboratory operations in Kentucky dedicated to
00:09:32safe delivery and effective medicines for patients. The Commonwealth is seeing tremendous growth in
00:09:38its health care and life sciences sectors, and Thermo Fisher continues to be a big part of that
00:09:43success. We also announced at the end of June that Bruco Marketing Group plans to invest over
00:09:48$1.2 million and create 18 good jobs in Muhlenberg County. The expansion to its central city
00:09:56headquarters will allow Bruco to increase production of its current offerings, including
00:10:01mobile marketing and education platforms such as STEM education labs and mobile medical facilities.
00:10:08Bruco has grown to become a national leader in mobile marketing, so congratulations to them
00:10:14and everybody in Muhlenberg County for the continued growth of this incredible Kentucky-based
00:10:19company. Just last week, I had the opportunity to join Eastern Light Distilling in the groundbreaking
00:10:26for their new $143.7 million distillery in Moorhead, a project that's going to create 50
00:10:32new Kentucky jobs. This new facility will introduce an innovative new concept that will help grow our
00:10:38signature bourbon industry in eastern Kentucky while supporting craft bourbon makers as a custom
00:10:44contract distiller. The project also represents a major success for the job-ready site development
00:10:51program, as the Rowan County site was approved for $600,000 in state support in 2023 through our
00:10:58KPDI program. So this is another example, like a number around the state that we make the investment
00:11:06and soon thereafter, maybe a year thereafter, we see a company locating very quickly. Eastern Light
00:11:14Distilling is adding to the historic growth we're seeing all across Kentucky's signature
00:11:19bourbon industry, and last week's official groundbreaking ceremony marked another significant
00:11:24step forward. So congratulations to Eastern Light Distilling's leadership. They are both
00:11:30native Kentuckians. One of the leaders, this is his hometown, and his dream was to bring what he
00:11:37does and his craft back to Rowan County, so congratulations to them. As we mentioned earlier,
00:11:45Allen County just making that list of top 100 counties, and the judge in that video talked
00:11:50about a groundbreaking we did earlier this week. It was just yesterday that I joined local officials
00:11:57there and leaders at Bellmark to break ground on a $99 million facility that's creating 159 new jobs.
00:12:05We think it's the largest investment in Allen County in about a decade since the Smucker's Plant
00:12:10that the judge mentioned. Bellmark is a maker of pressure-sensitive labels and flexible packaging.
00:12:16They're out of Wisconsin. This is just their second major facility outside of Wisconsin,
00:12:21so yesterday was an exciting day to celebrate the great company bringing high-quality opportunities.
00:12:28This is Carl Schmidt in the photo with me. He is the CEO who came down from Wisconsin. They are
00:12:34really excited about this opportunity, and this is just another example like examples in all the
00:12:40counties we've mentioned of this being a time when jobs are coming to people. They're locating in
00:12:46places they might not have previously considered instead of expecting people to drive an hour or
00:12:51two to come to jobs. That means we're in a special moment where we have a greater ability than maybe
00:12:57ever before to make sure that every county and every region is included, and we're going to
00:13:01continue to push as hard as we can to bring good new jobs everywhere across the Commonwealth of
00:13:08Kentucky. On top of those announcements, I really want to highlight a couple of great things
00:13:12happening across the Commonwealth. During last month's meeting of the Kentucky Economic
00:13:17Development Finance Authority, nearly 2.4 million dollars in state funding was approved in support
00:13:24job-ready site and building development projects in Adair and Boone counties for future job growth
00:13:30through the KPDI program. The Adair County project will support general infrastructure improvements
00:13:36including paving and entrance construction at the Green River Commerce Park. The Boone
00:13:44County investment will develop a site at CVG Airport, an ideal site for attracting and
00:13:48accommodating future industrial and manufacturing companies. Round one of the program concluded in
00:13:54December of 2023 with 53 projects statewide approved for 31.2 million dollars in state
00:14:00supported funding, but when you include local contributions, it was 123 million dollars of
00:14:06investment to make sure the next site is ready, and the one after that, and the one after that.
00:14:11So to date, round two, we've seen nearly 30 million dollars in funding. I'm thrilled at
00:14:18this partnership that the Executive Branch and the General Assembly were able to come together on.
00:14:24I've pushed for a little more money than is in the upcoming budget, but still significant dollars for
00:14:29a program that didn't exist five years ago or 10 years ago. This is a real investment, knowing that
00:14:35we constantly have to stay ahead of the competition, and we have to find that next site,
00:14:40and the one after that, and the one after that. So I think this is your government making wise,
00:14:45smart investments, working together, recognizing that bringing in jobs isn't red or blue,
00:14:51Democrat or Republican, but it does take hard work, and this is the hard work.
00:14:56So all this great economic news is bringing real results here in Kentucky. So today,
00:15:02our State Budget Director and my Executive Cabinet Secretary, John Hicks, released our fiscal year
00:15:072024 revenue report. The report shows that general fund receipts increased 2.8 percent,
00:15:14and road fund receipts increased 6.9 percent. So what that means is once the fiscal year's
00:15:21accounting records are closed later this month, the 2024 fiscal year will be the fourth consecutive
00:15:28year with a budget surplus of over $1 billion. It'll mean this administration has now had the
00:15:34four largest budget surpluses in Kentucky's history, and this is likely this year to be the
00:15:41second largest budget surplus that the Commonwealth has ever seen. And we are doing it.
00:15:47Even after individual income taxes were lowered, still we're seeing increased wages and salaries
00:15:56across the Commonwealth that have helped drive this growth. So it's not just all these
00:16:01groundbreakings, it's not just all the announcements, but we are seeing an incredibly healthy economy
00:16:08in Kentucky through the receipts that we see in just about every part of our revenue that we bring
00:16:16in. At a time when a lot of our country is gripped by pessimism, what I'm seeing across Kentucky
00:16:22from people of all parties is an optimism we ought to embrace, but we ought to recognize that not
00:16:28knowing how long this window will be open, we ought to sprint as hard as we can forward. Not right,
00:16:35not left, but forward to achieve as much as we can for our people. So to do that, last week I
00:16:42announced that one way we're going to keep the momentum going is an economic development trip I
00:16:47leave for tomorrow to Japan and the Republic of Korea. So the end of this week and next, I'm going
00:16:53to be traveling there and working to bring new jobs to Kentucky as I meet with 17 individual
00:16:58companies, including Toyota, Blue Oval SK, SKON, and Hitachi, which are currently employing or will
00:17:05employ more than 15,000 – no, they currently employ 15,000 Kentuckians and have announced
00:17:11another 7,000 new jobs. There are more than 100 additional companies invited to a reception
00:17:17that will be attending in Japan. I will join Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray to
00:17:22meet with the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea to sign a driver's license
00:17:27reciprocity agreement. This is a big deal. It's similar to what we did with Japan after the Toyota
00:17:33announcement, and what that does is allow Korean executives and others that are relocating in the
00:17:38United States to be able to drive in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and, if you want to go
00:17:43over to Seoul, for Kentuckians to be able to do the same in Korea. During my administration, we've
00:17:50announced over $10 billion in investments by the companies I'm visiting, so this is a good time
00:17:56to say thank you. It's also true that in the past, almost every year or every other year,
00:18:01Kentucky governors would travel to Japan specifically. That's something that I've
00:18:05wanted to do, but with a pandemic, tornadoes, floods, and everything else we faced, we've had
00:18:11to push it back. As you know, Japan is a top country for foreign direct investment in Kentucky,
00:18:17as our state is home to 200 Japanese-owned facilities that employ 47,000 residents,
00:18:23and now seven Korean-owned facilities operate in the Commonwealth, with six others announced
00:18:28during this administration, which will push employment by Korean companies to 6,700 people.
00:18:35So, despite a really, really, really long flight, I'm excited about the opportunity,
00:18:42first, to say thank you, to make sure that we have close and direct relationships with the
00:18:47decision-makers, but we also believe we're going to come back with additional jobs and expansions
00:18:52from this trip. So, a great opportunity to continue this great economic development win streak.
00:19:00Next, we have some good news to report on the work of our Kentucky State Police.
00:19:05Just last week, the Kentucky State Police released the 2023 Crime in Kentucky Report,
00:19:10which shows that crime rates have remained stable, with a decline in offenses for homicide,
00:19:15burglary, robbery, sex offenses, kidnapping, and gambling. For the last three consecutive years,
00:19:21homicide rates have been declining. To continue making strides in reducing crime,
00:19:26we must also continue to work to remove illicit drugs off our streets,
00:19:30drugs that are breaking apart our families and that are killing our loved ones. Yesterday,
00:19:35the Kentucky State Police did what they do best. They made our Commonwealth safer.
00:19:40I'm proud to announce that our State Police successfully executed a statewide drug operation
00:19:47following a three-month investigation into suspected drug trafficking rings.
00:19:52All 16 posts participated, and there are now fewer individuals out there that pose a threat
00:19:58to our people. This was no easy feat, one that put law enforcement face-to-face with danger.
00:20:04And what I'm most proud to report is that during this operation, there were no injuries. No
00:20:10injuries to our troopers, communities, or even those that they arrested. Here with us today is
00:20:15Kentucky State Police Commissioner P.J. Burnett, who is going to give us some details about
00:20:19Operation Summer Heat. Commissioner? Thank you, Governor. Good afternoon.
00:20:26As stated, I'm here to discuss Kentucky State Police's latest initiative to maintain public
00:20:32safety in our communities across Kentucky. Operation Summer Heat is a culmination of a
00:20:38three-month-long investigation into illicit drug activities across our Commonwealth.
00:20:45This operation included all 16 posts and encompassed our drug enforcement,
00:20:51special investigations branch, our intelligence branch, post personnel, and assistance from our
00:20:57telecommunicators and other entities across the agency. Typically, such roundups are tighter
00:21:03towards one particular post. This statewide initiative is to show a clear message across
00:21:09Kentucky to those who continue to distribute illegal drugs in our communities,
00:21:14the Kentucky State Police and our law enforcement partners, local and federal,
00:21:18will focus our efforts to cease such activities. Operation Summer Heat resulted in 206 drug arrests
00:21:28with 490 drug charges, and the majority of those were for trafficking in a controlled substance.
00:21:34Oh, you see our graphic? That is our post locations, and because the agenda is so long,
00:21:39I won't go through all the arrests, but you can see those per our post area.
00:21:45The preliminary results from this operation indicate a significant
00:21:50removal of illegal drugs from our communities and streets, including fentanyl. 554 grams
00:21:59was removed, as well as 2,931 pressed pills of fentanyl, 219 grams of cocaine,
00:22:094,862 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of heroin, 50 hydrocodone pills,
00:22:1790 oxycodone, or excuse me, 60 oxycodone pills, and then 90 hallucinogens, as well as other
00:22:24illegal drugs. Early estimates that we've been able to track to date show a street value of over
00:22:31$685,000 in those drugs that we've removed. Additionally, this initiative resulted in
00:22:38the seizure of 14 illegal firearms. We see $37,000 associated with drug activities,
00:22:45as well as recovered $10,000 in stolen tools, and then one stolen vehicle. This success was a
00:22:53testament to the hard work of our detectives and post-level personnel who are dedicated
00:22:58to keeping Kentuckians safe from the dangers of illicit drugs, all Kentuckians, but especially
00:23:04our children. Additionally, this was an opportunity to remove deadly narcotics
00:23:10from our local communities and the money that drives this criminal activity, as well as other
00:23:15crimes. Kentuckians in those target areas can sleep a little better tonight knowing that these
00:23:20drug dealers have been removed from their communities and will now face prosecution.
00:23:26Again, I want to thank Governor Beshear, his administration, for the support of KSP,
00:23:30for offering us the tools, the equipment, and all those that will enable us to do our jobs safely.
00:23:41One note I'd like to mention is that the Operation Summer Heat, this is a separate initiative from
00:23:46other entities that we do. We have criminal interdiction teams strategically located
00:23:52throughout the Commonwealth to intercept illegal drugs coming in from outside of Kentucky,
00:23:58and those quantities are large, as well as other entities and arrests associated
00:24:05with those activities. Operation Summer Heat is continuing, and there are still 50 targets
00:24:11that we are searching for at this time. Thank you.
00:24:18Thank you, Commissioner Burnett. He and his agency have done an excellent job,
00:24:26and because of y'all, my kids and everybody else's kids are a little bit safer today.
00:24:33All right. We also, on the front of the drug epidemic, we not only have to remove these drug
00:24:42dealers from the streets and these dangerous drugs from the streets, but we've got to get
00:24:46our people who've fallen into addiction better. So today, we have four new counties that are
00:24:51going to be certified as recovery-ready communities. You may remember a couple weeks ago,
00:24:56we announced that overdose deaths in the Commonwealth had decreased for the second
00:25:00year in a row, with 2023 seeing a 9.8 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
00:25:07Despite this, we know that our work is not yet done. We are still losing far too many people,
00:25:13each one a child of God, missed by their families and their communities. Every life
00:25:18is precious, and we continue this work until we lose no one from drugs. Today,
00:25:24we take another step forward in achieving that goal by announcing that addiction services have
00:25:29been established to treat more than 122,000 Kentuckians in Brethitt, Jessamine, Lee,
00:25:36and Nelson counties as they have received their recovery-ready community certification.
00:25:42Since we launched the recovery-ready community certification last year, 14 counties have now
00:25:47been certified. These communities are stepping up to help fellow Kentuckians who are struggling
00:25:51with addiction. They're providing families more support through mental health and addiction
00:25:55treatment, as well as employment services, and we are grateful for and we applaud their good work.
00:26:02Today, we have Scott Lockhart, Public Health Director at the Kentucky River District Health
00:26:08Department, who is instrumental in securing Lee County's recovery-ready certification.
00:26:12Lee County is home to The Hub, which provides all these services, as well as a diversion program
00:26:18for low-level drug offenders to treat addiction and help us to further reduce recidivism.
00:26:24And thanks in part to the folks in Lee County and across the Commonwealth, we have recorded the
00:26:29three lowest recidivism rates in over a decade, which means we're living our faith and values
00:26:34of second chances. We're getting families back together. We're reducing crime in the future.
00:26:40We're truly restoring people's lives. So if y'all would please come up, I'd like to present you
00:26:46with Lee County certification, and we'd love to hear a little bit from y'all. Congratulations.
00:26:55All right. There you go. Thank you, Governor. It's truly a pleasure to be here. As you said,
00:27:03I'm Scott Lockhart, Public Health Director for the Kentucky River District Health Department,
00:27:06and I have with me Joanne Fraley, who is the Harm Reduction Coordinator for our health department
00:27:12and who has been instrumental in the services that we offer there in that community and
00:27:18opening the hub. The substance use disorder problem is the largest public health issue
00:27:27that we are facing today in Eastern Kentucky and in many parts of our Commonwealth.
00:27:33These great economic development announces, they're fabulous, but each one of those factories
00:27:37need people to work in them. Second chance employment is huge, and we have so many people
00:27:42that are being impacted by substance use disorder, especially in our part of the state
00:27:47in Eastern Kentucky. Our motto at the hub is we meet people where they are, but we do not leave
00:27:55them there because it's key that everyone that comes through our door is treated with respect
00:28:01and dignity. I greatly appreciate, Governor, the statements you made there about every one of these
00:28:06individuals as someone's son, daughter, mother. There are families, members, there are neighbors,
00:28:13there are friends, and there, but for the grace of God, go out. Substance use disorder,
00:28:18if we're truly going to be impactful in addressing this issue, we have to embrace the disease model.
00:28:24We have to get treatment for individuals who are impacted by this. We cannot incarcerate
00:28:29our way out of this problem. Health departments across the state, we embrace our role to bring
00:28:36community members together, our elected officials, and we wouldn't be doing this without the support
00:28:42of our county judge executive, Steve Mays, our mayor, Scott Jackson. They have been so helpful.
00:28:46Our criminal justice system, we work with our courts closely down there, our drug courts,
00:28:52our treatment community. Individuals that come through our doors, we meet them with their basic
00:28:58needs, we feed them, we clothe them if they need that, we treat them with respect, and we build
00:29:04a trusting relationship to link them to whatever services they need. To date, we have got over 230
00:29:11individuals into residential treatment because when they're ready, we need to get them in there
00:29:16right then. Today, we had three more people today who said, I'm ready to go into treatment, so we
00:29:22were able to transport them and get that barrier taken care of. We serve as a gateway to get people
00:29:28into treatment, to link them to the resources, but then when they come back to the community,
00:29:33if we want them to be successful, we need to make sure that they have the resources there. We run
00:29:37multiple support groups, 11 support groups that are run throughout the week. We link them to
00:29:43second chance employment. We do innovative things like Strings of Hope, which is a ministry that
00:29:49fills the soul. You know, this emptiness left by drugs, we need to fill it with something else,
00:29:54and if we can get individuals back, we can show them that they have worth, they have dignity,
00:29:59then we have the possibility to really help them to be gainful members of our society,
00:30:04fill some of these many jobs that we have, and just have a higher quality of life. So,
00:30:10we're truly doing great work. Any of those budget surpluses, health departments would be glad to
00:30:15help you spend them to get more of these hubs across the state, but we are honored to get this
00:30:19certification because it recognizes all of our community partners coming together, working on
00:30:24a problem that's too big for any one of us to solve, and we really appreciate you, Governor.
00:30:28You have truly been the public health governor and given us the support in the health departments
00:30:32to be successful. So, thank you. You're welcome. Congratulations. Congratulations
00:30:38to those three individuals today. Yes, thank you for your work.
00:30:44Every Kentucky county has the opportunity to become a certified, recovery-ready community.
00:30:49We still have 106 to go to get the whole state ultimately in this position. Applications can
00:30:57be submitted to rrcky.org. So, let's keep moving forward on this together.
00:31:05Today, I have an update on revenue generated by the success of sports wagering. This is money
00:31:10that's not going to other states, but staying right here in Kentucky, and that's great news
00:31:15for the Commonwealth. Just 10 months have passed since I placed the first sports wagering bet,
00:31:22and I almost won, even though we spotted Duke three wins at that point. But revenue is beating
00:31:29all predictions, and sports wagering continues to be an entertainment source that Kentuckians
00:31:35enjoy. Preliminary numbers indicate that over $37.2 million has been collected by Treasury
00:31:41from sports wagering taxes and licensing fees. Over $34.8 million of that goes directly to the
00:31:49Kentucky Permanent Pension Fund. By supporting pensions, money is freed up in the general fund,
00:31:54or additional dollars mount up in the pension fund to help us further get those bond rating
00:32:00upgrades or to give our retirees the type of extra security and confidence that they deserve.
00:32:08This is money that can be used in such a special way, and it is a win-win for the whole state.
00:32:15Additionally, over $930,000 goes to the Problem Gambling Fund to educate Kentuckians on safe
00:32:21gambling practices, risk factors, and services to reduce the consequences of problem gambling.
00:32:27These numbers are self-reported by the licensees and have not yet been audited. Final numbers are
00:32:33reported by the new Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, which began operation on July
00:32:401. All right, today we also have some good news to report when it comes to hiring social workers.
00:32:46While I know there is always more work to be done, I'm proud to report that the additional
00:32:51steps that Team Kentucky has taken to recruit and retain social workers is paying off. As you know,
00:32:57we had hit a crisis point on the number of social workers we did not have that we needed for so many
00:33:05critical roles on Team Kentucky. So I'm proud to report over the past 18 months, we have made a net
00:33:12gain of over 230 social workers that we've onboarded to serve our Kentucky families. This
00:33:18has been one of the best spans for social worker recruitment and retention. These individuals are
00:33:23a lifeline to those in need, but for far too long they've had caseloads so large they worry about
00:33:31what might fall through the cracks, but they do their best to help everyone they can. During my
00:33:36time as governor, we have worked to change that. In December 2021, I was proud to announce an
00:33:42immediate 10% raise for all social workers and family support staff, and over the last two years
00:33:47we were able to secure both an 8% and a 6% pay increase for state employees after years of no
00:33:54increases. Thank you to the General Assembly for stepping up in that last budget and in this
00:33:59current budget to continue to provide those necessary raises. Beyond the pay raises, some
00:34:05of the other work we've done is expediting the hiring process significantly, establishing
00:34:10partnerships with state universities to bring in paid interns. That has provided a great gateway
00:34:15towards full and long-term employment. We've supported a hybrid work schedule and we've
00:34:20boosted pay $5 an hour for those that work outside of the normal schedule, and over the past 18
00:34:26months, teams of recruiters have participated in 37 hiring events, bringing on more talented and
00:34:31caring members to Team Kentucky. This is an incredible turnaround in hires. I want to thank
00:34:37the cabinet for thinking outside the box, for working so hard, but it also reminds us when you
00:34:44pay people closer to what they're worth, more people want to do jobs with an incredible amount
00:34:50of purpose. Remember the amount of education and training it takes to be a social worker, yet the
00:34:55pay for so long has been far too low. So very excited today to report on this good news and
00:35:02in this segment by thanking all our social workers out there for living out the golden rule,
00:35:07the parable, the Good Samaritan, and being there for people at their toughest of times. Keep up
00:35:12your good work. So that brings me to an announcement related to a program that is
00:35:18very near and dear to me and made a lasting impact on my life. The Kentucky Governor's Scholars
00:35:24Program is something I participated in in 1995. I'm the first governor scholar to become governor,
00:35:30and it's a place where I found my confidence, that they helped change the course of my life,
00:35:38truly showed me that I wasn't alone. I got to meet people from all across the commonwealth
00:35:43that remain great friends today, and I support this program with every part of my being because
00:35:49of how grateful I am to it. We are going to welcome a new leader after the close of this
00:35:55summer's ongoing sessions at Center College, Morehead State University, and Murray State University.
00:36:01Dr. Jennifer Price of Georgetown, a 20-year veteran of the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program
00:36:06and a GSP class 1992 alumni, has been selected by the GSP Board of Directors to succeed
00:36:15long-serving Executive Director Arese Cedeno, who is a pretty special guy I'm going to talk about
00:36:22in just a second. Jen has a long history with the program and has held every position within GSP from
00:36:29RA to campus director. For the last two summers, she served as the academic dean. Also a huge thing,
00:36:36she's a native from Hopkins County and is the mother of two. So Arese joined the GSP faculty
00:36:42in 1992. He was the dean of my campus in 1995. We've known each other for that long, and he's been
00:36:49the Executive Director since 2006. He'll remain on the staff through the fall to assist in the
00:36:55leadership transition and in the recruitment season, but I doubt he can stay away even after
00:37:01that. I want to thank Arese for his many years of exemplary service and dedication to this important
00:37:08program. The stellar reputation of the program is truly a part of your legacy, and congratulations
00:37:14to Jen on her well-deserved appointment. We appreciate your willingness to take over the
00:37:19reins and just know as governor, it's important enough to me that I'm watching, but I know that
00:37:23you are going to do an outstanding job. I'm pleased that both Arese and Jen are able to
00:37:28join us today, and I'd like to invite them to say a few words.
00:37:35Very welcome. Congratulations. As Governor Brashear said, my name is Arese Cedeño, and I am
00:37:42the current Executive Director of the Governor's Scholars Program. I came to Kentucky in 1991
00:37:49to teach at the University of Louisville, and very soon I joined the GSP in the summer of 1992
00:38:01to teach, but what has happened in the last 33 years through the Governor's Scholars Program
00:38:10is that I became the student, because what the Governor's Scholars Program and the Commonwealth
00:38:17of Kentucky has, what they have taught me is the intellectual, the cultural, and the human values
00:38:26of these wonderful, my wonderful adopted homeland. I became an American citizen while I was in
00:38:35Kentucky many years ago. I did that here, and so as I welcome Jen, whom I have known since 1992
00:38:44when I was first teacher and then she was a scholar, as I welcome Jen to this program,
00:38:50I hope to encourage all Kentuckians to continue this extraordinary endeavor. I know Governor
00:38:58Brashear is committed to do this, but we began in 1983 with 260 students. That was the dream of
00:39:10little press at the time, and we are now at the mark of almost 37,000 students who have gone
00:39:21through the program, and my goal that I have reached during many years is to have representation
00:39:30of 120 counties of Kentucky, and we do have that representation this year as well. So as I welcome
00:39:37Jen, I want to make sure that we all know to continue this program, because ultimately,
00:39:43the winner is one, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Thank you, Governor.
00:39:54Thank you so much, Governor Brashear and Arisse. The Governor's Scholars Program has meant so much
00:39:59to me for so long, and I am deeply honored to step into this new role as Executive Director.
00:40:06As an alum of the program and the parent of one, I know firsthand the impact the GSB has on the
00:40:12lives of Kentucky's high school students. I'm wholly committed to the mission of the program,
00:40:18to enhance the next generation of civic and economic leaders, and that includes students
00:40:23from all parts of the Commonwealth. My own mission is to lead the GSB with a spirit of collaboration
00:40:30and empathy. I look forward to working with our state legislators, business and community leaders,
00:40:37and the over 36,000 alumni of the program as we work to ensure its legacy. Arisse, thank you again
00:40:43for your leadership over the past 33 years. I also want to thank the GSP Board of Directors,
00:40:49especially the Board Chair, Trey Grayson, for the trust they've placed in me to fill very big shoes.
00:40:56And Governor Brashear, thank you for your ongoing support. We are certainly proud to
00:41:00have an alum as the Governor. You are the first, but I expect you won't be the last. Thank you.
00:41:13Next, we have some exciting news for Bowling Green and Warren County. Even before the tornadoes hit
00:41:20western Kentucky a couple years ago, we needed more housing options for Kentuckians. The tornadoes
00:41:26made that need for housing even greater. A few weeks ago, we announced funds that will go towards
00:41:31building 953 homes across western Kentucky. That was the largest housing announcement we believe
00:41:37we've ever made, and they included projects in Christian, Graves, Hopkins, and Warren counties.
00:41:43And today, we have more good news. From our Disaster Recovery Program, we are awarding
00:41:48Warren County $4.5 million to build 10 homes and two duplexes. They are partnering with Live
00:41:55the Dream Development to get this project done. Today, we're joined by Warren County Deputy Judge
00:42:01Executive Brian Downing and Abraham Williams from Live the Dream. Will you all please join me?
00:42:13I thought you might like to accept four and a half million dollars. Yes, sir.
00:42:17Come on in. You too. Thanks for being here.
00:42:25Let's say a few words about the project.
00:42:32Thank you, Governor Beshear. It's an exciting day for Warren County and me to be here on behalf of
00:42:38Judge Gorman. Judge and I talk a lot. December 11th was probably the worst day in Warren County.
00:42:45We lost 17 lives and hundreds of homes, which, like the Governor said, made our housing crisis
00:42:50even larger than it was. And we talk a lot. The 12th, 13th, 14th, and now into July of 2024
00:42:59are some of the best days, and today continues that. We got to see what makes Warren County
00:43:04great, which is collaboration between the local city and county, the state, our partners in our
00:43:11community, and it continues today. So thank you so much for this. Attainable housing is one of our
00:43:16greatest needs, and this will help us. Thank the Department of Local Government and this program,
00:43:22Governor, you and your team, for allowing this to happen. Abraham and the Housing Authority are
00:43:27going to do great, great things with this, as they do, and the impact it's going to have on
00:43:32so many families is exciting. So thank you so much. Abraham, time to get to work. All right.
00:43:37Great. I appreciate it.
00:43:43Next, we have some great news for the City of Bowling Green. Today, we're awarding $5 million
00:43:48to Bowling Green to build 116 affordable homes within the city limits. They're partnering with
00:43:53Habitat for Humanity of Bowling Green and Warren County for this project. We first have a video
00:43:59from Mayor Alcott. Governor Beshear, on behalf of City of Bowling Green, I am very grateful,
00:44:06and we're very excited about this new grant announcement of $5 million to Habitat for
00:44:12Humanity, leading to affordable homes in our community. But more importantly, it's going to
00:44:17lead to home ownership. The aftermath of the tornado is in our past, but our future is bright.
00:44:24Thank you so much. All right. We've got a group here today that includes Brent Childers,
00:44:31Director of Neighborhood and Community Services for Bowling Green, and Rodney Goodman from Habitat
00:44:36for Humanity. If you all would please accept a $5 million check. Come on in, guys.
00:44:57All right. Anybody want to talk about the project? Please.
00:45:01So, thanks to the Governor, Team Kentucky. We appreciate the opportunity to be here today.
00:45:05Really, this is about partnership. Brian talked about it a while ago, following the tornadoes.
00:45:09We saw a community come together. We saw a community come together in the way of not just
00:45:13healing the loss that we felt, but also how do we move forward. And we said, really, just probably
00:45:2030 days after the tornado, we will recover, we will rebuild, and we will move forward.
00:45:24And this is another step in that direction. I appreciate the partnership with Habitat for
00:45:27I appreciate the partnership with Habitat for Humanity. They've been a long-time partner of
00:45:32the City of Bowling Green. Also, Live the Dream has been a long-time partner in addressing
00:45:36affordable housing in a growing community. We appreciate the support. We really appreciate
00:45:40the announcement a couple weeks ago about the new investment in multifamily housing in Bowling
00:45:46Green. And we continue to move forward one step at a time in addressing affordable housing in
00:45:51Bowling Green and Warner County. Thank you all. Congratulations.
00:46:01We made a promise to Western Kentucky that we were going to be there until every home,
00:46:06every building, and every life was restored and repaired. And we're going to continue to push
00:46:13until that goal is achieved. All these efforts combined with the work we're doing,
00:46:18with the more than $21.6 million donated to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund
00:46:24that's been paid out to construct or repair over 300 homes. To date, more than 200 of those homes
00:46:31have been built, are under construction, or have been funded. And just a few weeks ago,
00:46:35we announced a $31.5 million federal grant to revitalize the City of Mayfield's downtown.
00:46:42That's $25 million of federal grant funding we secured and then other funding on top of that.
00:46:48Our goal is to make good on our promise. And at our next update, we're going to have some
00:46:53more updates on some other areas. But today, we have at least one of those.
00:47:00Today, we have some great news to share on the progress we're making at New Hope Estates
00:47:05in Floyd County, which is one of our properties where we are building homes outside of the flood
00:47:10plain in eastern Kentucky. Last July, I visited Prestonsburg to share some exciting news that we
00:47:16were committing $2 million to acquire land to build 33 homes and rehabilitate one home for a
00:47:22flood victim. Then we went back and announced $8 million more from our disaster recovery program
00:47:28of 2021 to help build homes. These homes at New Hope Estates are going to be right next to the
00:47:34Sandy Area Development District. So, Director Ratliff, you're going to get some good new
00:47:40neighbors. Today, we get to announce that FAHE, formerly known as the Federation of Housing
00:47:45Enterprises, will begin taking applications for the home ownership of these 34 homes.
00:47:51They are hosting an intake event next Thursday in Prestonsburg. We have my friend, Floyd County
00:47:57Judge Executive Robbie Williams with us today. Judge, could you talk about this great progress?
00:48:04Thanks for coming over. Thank you, Governor. Appreciate you. Appreciate you.
00:48:12I'm Floyd County Judge Executive Robbie Williams. On behalf of the residents of Floyd County,
00:48:19the other judges in eastern Kentucky, the residents of eastern Kentucky that were
00:48:24affected by the devastating flooding in 2022, we want to thank you, Governor, for your support.
00:48:31My Deputy Judge, he was just talking to me just a second ago. He said, you remember when the
00:48:36Governor called you the morning of the flood? He said, we're going to be with you every step of
00:48:40the way. He told me that five minutes ago. And you have been. You and your team have been with
00:48:44us every step of the way. This new partnership with FAHE is significant in that it takes a load,
00:48:54it takes a burden off of us. We have resources, minimal resources, staff, and it's the technical
00:49:03issues that we just don't understand as Judge Executives in trying to get into housing and
00:49:10how to develop and get these folks back into affordable and quality housing. The Governor
00:49:15and his staff have really stepped up, helped us to do the things that we need to do to ensure that
00:49:22we get these folks in affordable and quality housing as quickly as possible. We still have
00:49:26folks that are homeless. We have folks that are still living in their neighbors' guest homes or
00:49:32in basements. So it's important. And this component of that process is going to streamline
00:49:41the application process to get these folks in homes as quickly as we can. So on behalf of all
00:49:47the folks of eastern Kentucky and the impacted families, thank you, Governor. We certainly
00:49:51appreciate it. Thank you. If you are impacted by the floods in 2021 or 2022, we encourage you to
00:49:59visit housingcantwait.org and fill out the interest questionnaire. A FAHE representative will then
00:50:06get in touch with you. Today we're also joined by Jacob Wolf, Director of Disaster Resilience at
00:50:12FAHE. Jacob, if you'd join us and provide a few words. Thank you for all the efforts that you all
00:50:19are undertaking and coordinating. Thanks, Governor. FAHE is very excited to be partnering with DLG,
00:50:27with Floyd County, with Big Sandy Ad on the new Hope Estates development, the intake process for
00:50:34that. We know there's an incredible opportunity for the residents of Floyd County, residents of
00:50:38eastern Kentucky to get connected with much needed disaster recovery housing opportunities.
00:50:45So as the Governor mentioned, we will be opening intake for this site next Thursday, July 18th.
00:50:52We'll be hosting an event at the Floyd County Community Center, July 18th from 2 to 6 p.m.
00:50:58Representatives from FAHE's disaster resilience team will be on site to provide more information
00:51:02about eligibility and the intake process. And if you are interested in this site or other disaster
00:51:09recovery housing opportunities in eastern Kentucky, please feel free to contact us at
00:51:14FAHEDR at FAHE.org or you can go online to housingcantwait.org where you'll be able to
00:51:20get connected with a member of our team. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks, Governor. Keep up the good work.
00:51:26With all our high ground communities, we're bringing over 500 new homes to the eastern
00:51:32Kentucky region. That is not just restoring homes, that is restoring communities. I believe next week
00:51:38we're going to have some more news for both Knott County and Perry County. A lot of the hard work,
00:51:44the utility work, the most expensive parts of getting these communities up and running are
00:51:51going on right now. So while you don't necessarily see homes going up everywhere, but we do in
00:51:57Wayland where they're going up fast and we do at the cottages at Thompson Branch, you are going
00:52:04to see a whole lot this fall and moving into the winter as that toughest of work is now being
00:52:09completed. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the flooding, we're making plans to visit
00:52:14several of the affected communities on July 26th when we'll share some more good news on the
00:52:21progress that we're making. Today we also have some good news for Floyd and Knott Counties. A
00:52:28$1.5 million federal abandoned mine land economic revitalization project to replace nearly 20,000
00:52:35feet of existing water lines with new PVC and iron lines from Lackey to the city of Wayland has been
00:52:43completed. The new line not only provides clean water to our Kentucky families hit hard
00:52:48by the devastating floods, but its location is outside of the flood prone areas. That means that
00:52:55about 1,500 customers will now have reliable high pressure water when they turn on the tap.
00:53:01I've always said access to clean drinking water is a basic human right and in between the ARPA
00:53:07funds that we reached an agreement on with the General Assembly and other funds that have been
00:53:13provided by the federal government, we are bringing more clean reliable drinking water
00:53:17to communities than we've seen in decades. With the completion of this project, Southern Water
00:53:24and Sewer District will also be able to make a connection with Knott County Water and Sewer
00:53:28District in case of emergencies. We're so thankful for the AMLR program as Kentucky has received
00:53:34nearly $225 million since 2016 that it's put towards 86 projects in 25 eastern Kentucky
00:53:42counties. When completed, these projects will help create up to 3,000 new jobs for the region.
00:53:50Now a storm update from our July storms. Over the 4th of July holiday, an EF1 tornado hit Jefferson
00:53:57County with peak winds of 95 miles per hour. In conjunction with local responders and government
00:54:04officials, Louisville Metro Emergency Management Services has been conducting damage assessments
00:54:09and working to assist storm victims and others from the community. On Friday, July 5th, I joined
00:54:14leadership from Kentucky Emergency Management to visit the impacted area and speak with survivors
00:54:20and the responders working in the community. We experienced severe weather again two days ago
00:54:25as the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl moved into our region. Tuesday night, Union County in western
00:54:31Kentucky saw another tornado impact their community. As the National Weather Service
00:54:36begins to conduct surveys, we expect other tornadoes will be confirmed. The damage mostly
00:54:42impacted agricultural areas and one home has reported damage. Emergency Management
00:54:48has monitored the situation and continues offering assistance to county officials
00:54:52when requested and certainly reach out to make sure we're providing the help that's needed.
00:54:58With every storm and every challenge we face, Kentucky continues to be more and more resilient.
00:55:04No one shows more resiliency than our local leaders like our judge and our deputy judge
00:55:09that are here today and every time the worst of the worst happens, the best of the best turn out
00:55:15to help. We saw that with Bahi and so many others. The Small Business Administration is now offering
00:55:22disaster assistance for businesses, homeowners, renters, and non-profit organizations affected
00:55:28by the severe storms and tornadoes that occurred March 14th and 15th. So again, you got to track
00:55:33all of these. The 14th and 15th storms and tornadoes, the SBA is now offering assistance.
00:55:40If you remember, those storms were for Trimble County, Carroll, Henry, and Oldham in Kentucky,
00:55:48and Clark and Jefferson counties in Indiana. Businesses and private non-profit organizations
00:55:54may borrow up to two million dollars to repair or replace disaster damage or destroyed real estate,
00:56:00machinery, equipment, inventory, and other business assets. Homeowners may also qualify
00:56:06for loans up to five hundred thousand dollars to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate
00:56:11or up to a hundred thousand dollars to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
00:56:17Survivors can learn more to apply in the following ways, which are on the screen.
00:56:22Deadline for the physical property damage applications is August 26, 2024. So again,
00:56:29for Kentuckians, this is Trimble, Carroll, Henry, and Oldham counties for those March storms.
00:56:37Businesses, non-profit organizations can apply for loans up to two million dollars, homeowners
00:56:43five hundred thousand dollars for their real estate, a hundred thousand dollars for their
00:56:48personal property. Remember the physical property damage application, the deadline is August 26,
00:56:542024. Okay, so now we'll move to the early April severe weather update. Residents of Boyd, Carter,
00:57:03Fayette, Greenup, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, Oldham, Union, and Whitley counties have
00:57:11until July 22nd to apply for federal disaster assistance. As of yesterday, FEMA dispersed over
00:57:181.3 million dollars in individual assistance funds to 902 survivors in the 11 counties impacted
00:57:25by the storms. Remember, it's tough to apply for individual assistance. We met it for this set of
00:57:32storms because so many people submitted their damage. Even if they didn't need individual
00:57:37assistance, they were helping us account for the damage so those who needed it could get it.
00:57:43Survivors can apply on on the ways that are on the screen. And now, the May Memorial Day
00:57:50severe weather update. While the state of emergencies for severe weather during late
00:57:55May has not received a federal disaster declaration, Kentucky Emergency Management is
00:57:59working closely with FEMA to assess the damage and direct survivors towards resources that can assist
00:58:05at this time. If you experienced damage due to the storms surrounding the Memorial Day incident,
00:58:11please contact your local emergency manager. Again, your insurance might cover everything and
00:58:18all the damage you had, but it's you submitting that damage that may get us to a threshold that
00:58:23helps somebody out that might not have that insurance. So, those are our multiple severe
00:58:29weather updates. And to close it out, our team Kentucky All-Star may get me a little choked up
00:58:35today. Today is Brittany Beshear's birthday, 7-11. Everybody gets a slurpee, I'm told, on her
00:58:43birthday. This is my life partner, partner in everything I do, including in this job.
00:58:50She provided me the two greatest gifts in life I could ever ask for, which are my kids Will and
00:58:55Lila. She is Winnie's favorite by far, which upsets me every day, but she more than deserves it.
00:59:05We've been together just over 20 years, almost to the day when I first met her, and her kindness
00:59:15is something amazing to see every day, from organizing what I still believe is the largest
00:59:19toy drive ever organized, to the blood drives, to supporting the team Kentucky Art Gallery,
00:59:26to raising awareness on human trafficking and domestic violence. I'm so proud of her and
00:59:33everything that she does, and I'm really grateful for everything that she brings to
00:59:38my life. So, in a slightly selfish move, we're making our First Lady, our team Kentucky All-Star
00:59:46today, and nobody tell Will he might be getting taller than me. All right, with that, we will
00:59:52open it up to questions. We have a packed room, and I know we've been going a long time. We'll
00:59:56start with Al Cross. Wow, if she was ever asked, she'd make an absolutely fantastic one because
01:00:08there's nothing that she can't do. I don't have any more information than I did the last time
01:00:13I was asked questions about this topic. President Biden is the current nominee. Only he could make
01:00:20a decision not to be the nominee. I support him as long as he is our nominee, and I believe that
01:00:28what we'll need to see and what the American people need to see in the coming months
01:00:32is an aggressive campaign schedule that proves to the American people and provides
01:00:39the information on his health that I think people have been asking for.
01:00:42Can I follow up with a little tougher question? Sure. When Speaker Pelosi spoke yesterday,
01:00:48she treated the question of the President's candidacy as still an open question. He and
01:00:54the White House are not treating it as an open question. Do you believe it is still an open
01:00:58question? I think only he knows that, and it would be speculation on my part. I've just had the
01:01:06one opportunity to be with the President when the Democratic governors came together, and when I had
01:01:11an opportunity to speak, it was that he didn't just need to reassure us. He needed to reassure
01:01:18the American people. I think they've taken some steps towards it, but I think more steps
01:01:22would need to be taken. Austin. Thank you, Governor. You've been to Washington a couple
01:01:28times. This whole kind of discussion has proliferated in the media and pretty much
01:01:33everywhere else. Have you had any discussions with anyone outside your team about joining
01:01:39a presidential ticket? If offered the vice presidential role, is that a role that you
01:01:45would accept? Is that a role that you feel would meet that threshold that you mentioned earlier
01:01:50of a role that would help? I haven't had any conversations with the White House,
01:01:56the President, the Vice President. I haven't had all of our conversations.
01:02:02Well, we haven't had conversations. No. The answer to your question is no, I haven't
01:02:06had any of those conversations. I'm not going to speculate about what would or could happen.
01:02:13I love this job. My kids are happy. My family's happy. I feel like we're in a role here in
01:02:19Kentucky, and this job is more than enough for me that I could fulfill this next term,
01:02:24which I fully intend to, and be happy if this is the last public service role I ever had.
01:02:31But I've said before, the only way that I'd step away from this role is if I felt like I could
01:02:36help the Commonwealth even more through some other opportunity. I have not talked to George
01:02:44Clooney since January when I told his father, happy birthday.
01:03:06Well, overruling the Chevron doctrine is going to create a lot more litigation
01:03:11everywhere. It's going to allow virtually anybody to question and sue over an administrative
01:03:20decision by groups that are supposed to make administrative decisions in carrying out
01:03:26overall policy that may have been set by a legislative branch, either federally or here.
01:03:31If there is absolutely no deference to how that's done, then everything is going to be
01:03:37litigated out in a significant, prolonged, and expensive way. It's a concerning decision that
01:03:44overturns a significant amount of precedents. In the West, it's coming along in an amazing way
01:03:52right now. I've said before, we're not rebuilding homes. We're rebuilding neighborhoods, and they
01:03:58continue to come up in Mayfield and Dawson and other places. That announcement, what,
01:04:04about a month ago on rental units was enormous because that was our hole. That's what was
01:04:09missing. And then you saw another announcement today. It's hard to categorize exactly how many
01:04:16homes we need for individuals that lost theirs in the tornado versus also how many people need
01:04:22affordable housing that were already there or are moving there. But I'm excited about our progress.
01:04:29Certainly, we have another 100 homes I'd like to see through our team, Western Kentucky Tornado
01:04:34Relief Fund. I believe we're going to get close to that amount. Things have gotten more expensive
01:04:40as we've gone. And so our hope is certainly to get as close to that as we can. But those are
01:04:47separate and apart from some of these other announcements that we've made.
01:04:51Bode. Thank you, Governor. Earlier this week, we received a letter from the auditor and
01:04:57ombudsman about access to a certain CHSS database called I-TWEST that access being revoked.
01:05:05Can you shed some light on the situation that's going on there and the detail of our acceptance?
01:05:10Sure. And this isn't some dramatic disagreement that has any type of political tones at all.
01:05:18What this is, is the ombudsman used to be in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
01:05:23And the ombudsman in the cabinet would have some access and only some employees to different
01:05:31databases that have very personal information that's protected under state and federal law.
01:05:37And over the years, while the ombudsman was at CHFS, the legislature passed additional statutes
01:05:43saying who could and who could not access that information. Well, in the last session,
01:05:48the General Assembly moved the ombudsman, or did previously, to the auditor's office.
01:05:55But what they didn't do is change other statutes that had been passed when the ombudsman was still
01:06:01over at CHFS that said who can access the information. So what we have is still written
01:06:08statutes on the books that say that the information that can be shared with someone
01:06:14outside the cabinet, or who it can be shared with, is limited. And the challenge here is,
01:06:19I'm sure the General Assembly intended for the ombudsman to be able to do what they need to do,
01:06:25and I support them having the access, but we have a written statute that is on the books that says
01:06:31we can't provide a certain access. And I don't think the General Assembly is going to tell me
01:06:37that if you think that you know what we wanted you to do, that you could ignore the other
01:06:42statutes that we passed on the books. And so we've tried to work through this directly with them,
01:06:47saying what about this and what about that, and they've said no full access. I get why they want
01:06:52that. I don't disagree that a statutory change should be made that allows that, but with this
01:06:59other statute and statutes on the books, the cabinet feels like they'd be violating the law.
01:07:06So this is something that I hope we can work through in a way that works until January,
01:07:12and then ultimately we can get a statutory either revocation for the limitations,
01:07:17or a change that helps us to get this done. But it would be an interesting precedent if
01:07:24different chairmen or chairwomen of the General Assembly told me I could ignore certain statutes
01:07:29on the books because of what they were trying to do. So again, I know it comes off or seems
01:07:35dramatic. This isn't intended to be. We all want to get to a final place, and we want oversight.
01:07:42It needs to happen for these really important decisions and the children that we're supposed
01:07:48to protect. We're just going to have to take some steps to get there. Jeremy Toombs.
01:07:54Thank you. It might be early yet, as I know that the application is open,
01:07:59but I was curious if you all have any update you can provide on the interest you've seen in
01:08:04business licensing as it relates to medical cannabis. Yeah, so the licenses, the applications
01:08:10are coming in, but we think a lot of people are waiting right now until closer to the deadline.
01:08:16We would strongly encourage people to submit earlier. A lot of the applications that have
01:08:22come in already have been found deficient, though people are going to get a chance to cure them
01:08:26because they appear to be using guides from other states that aren't applicable here. So we want
01:08:32everybody to have time. We want a bunch of applications to come in, but our encouragement
01:08:36today is don't wait. Reach out. Ask questions. Go ahead and submit. As you could guess, the most
01:08:45licenses that have been submitted have been for dispensaries, which is what we expect and
01:08:51anticipate. But right now, we believe that schedule that we put out that we will be able to
01:08:56meet. Now, still some challenges in on day one, is there going to be sufficient supply, etc. in every
01:09:03part of Kentucky? And that's just a challenge with the way the statute was passed. But we are doing
01:09:08our best to be as ready on day one as we can. What would help us from businesses is go ahead
01:09:14and apply so that if there is anything wrong with the application, you can have a chance to fix it.
01:09:20Carolina?
01:09:21Following up on that, what challenges is the state potentially anticipating for the January launch?
01:09:30And then come Monday, are there any flaws that you're concerned about?
01:09:37So when the launch occurs, the biggest challenge is will there be sufficient supply on day one?
01:09:48I believe that we are on track to have the medical personnel certified. We're on track to get all the
01:09:53licenses out. But once the licenses are out, the product still has to be grown. And then it's got
01:09:59to be processed. And then it's got to be packaged. And it's got to be at the facilities. And it's
01:10:04got to be inspected throughout all that. But if you think about the life cycle of what it will
01:10:10take to get to the store, that's what we're looking at. But the actual structure and operation of the
01:10:16program itself, I expect to be ready by day one. I would also just remind people that this is
01:10:23medical marijuana and the conditions are limited. And so the market is much smaller in terms of
01:10:29numbers than what you see in recreational markets. So we're trying to be really intentional
01:10:35in making sure that we only put out the right number of licenses, that we don't see what
01:10:39happened in hemp when the market was flooded with licensees and a lot of people lost a lot of money.
01:10:46The goal in everything from how we handle this product and who gets it for medicine and how
01:10:53the business is created in Kentucky, we just want to make sure we're doing the right way.
01:10:58And I think it is being done the right way. That doesn't mean there won't be challenges
01:11:02and we won't have to make some changes as it goes. But we are using best practices
01:11:06from a lot of states. And Sam Flynn's doing a great job, incredibly organized, going about
01:11:12this in a really professional way. A lot of laws are going to come on the books.
01:11:20Concerns over what we may see in terms of numbers of individuals going into our jails,
01:11:29our prisons and our DJJ facilities. As the executive branch, we have to house everyone
01:11:36that is sent to those facilities, but we have a limited amount of money that we're allocated to
01:11:41do it. And we don't have any control on the number of individuals who come in. But our job
01:11:48is to do our best with that. But certainly, the correction system is doing better than it has
01:11:55in a long time because we have more corrections officers than we've had in a long time because
01:11:59we're paying them closer to what they're worth. Now, obviously, right now, there's a lot of reform
01:12:06going on in our DJJ facilities. But remember, those facilities are still really old and weren't
01:12:13designed appropriately in the beginning, at least not for the population that we have in them right
01:12:20now. We did not get the money that we requested in the last budget for new facilities. And so,
01:12:26if we see a significant amount of additional juveniles sent to our DJJ facilities, that's
01:12:34just going to increase pressure on a system that we're trying to fix and repair in real time.
01:12:40All right. On the line, we've got Tom Latek. Okay. Do we have Isaiah?
01:12:47Okay. Isaiah Kim-Martinez.
01:12:51Can you hear me all right, Governor?
01:12:53I can.
01:12:56Amazing. I appreciate you taking the time. I wanted to ask, are you aware of a $2,500
01:13:02payment made by your In This Together PAC back in May, specifically for a donor list? I believe
01:13:08it's from your father's run for U.S. Senate Committee. Are you aware? And if so, can you
01:13:12explain the reason for it? I'm not aware of it. I'll ask about it. But any of those PACs have to
01:13:22pay for donor lists. Otherwise, it is a contribution, and depending on the laws,
01:13:28can be an illegal contribution. So, what you see is, whether it was campaigns, I know we purchased
01:13:36a number of donor lists before, or others, you see that compensation where they try to find
01:13:44reasonable market value for them. But I'm happy to ask the group, and we'll get you further
01:13:50information, but you can't typically just send one of those lists to a new entity.
01:13:56Liam Nehemiah from the Kentucky Lantern with our final question.
01:14:03Hi, Governor. Can you hear me? I can hear you. Great. So, former Public Service Commission
01:14:12Chair Kent Chandler told reporters he decided to resign because he didn't have any confidence he
01:14:17would be reappointed because of lack of communication from the Beshear administration.
01:14:22Were you planning to reappoint him, and why or why not?
01:14:26Well, we don't talk about our internal decisions on appointment or reappointment, but for those
01:14:32that think Kent provided great service, which I am one of, I hired Kent in this area as Attorney
01:14:39General a number of years ago. Appointed him as one of the youngest Public Service Commissioners
01:14:45that serve. Appointed him as one of the youngest chairs. So, I know that he is going to go on
01:14:51to a great private sector career. We wish him the best and appreciate him being part of the team
01:14:58for so long. When folks leave us for other opportunities, we only want to wish them the
01:15:04best. Make sure that they have the best opportunities that are out there and from
01:15:08somebody who's known his family for a long time. I'm looking forward to all the good things he does,
01:15:13except when he's opposite of us at the Public Service Commission. All right. Thank you all very
01:15:18much.