ENDORSEMENTS and AWARDS

I have asked for your vote in discussions with many of you on your porches, on the phone, in mailers, and in myriad other ways all across this district. I ask for your vote because I enjoy serving our district and think I do it well. And when I ask, it is me making the pitch about why you should support me in what I have done and have tried to do.

But on this page I would like to allow others to speak for me, by compiling the endorsements and listing the awards I have been honored to receive. I am humbled by them. So, proceeding at the risk of too much self-promotion by listing these accolades, I believe this information may be helpful to you as you make your decision in this election. I share them with the hope that the voters of the 33rd District will allow me to return to Frankfort and continue our fight.

ENDORSEMENTS (Current and previous)


Associated Builders and Contractors

Associated General Contractors

Building Industry Association

C-FAIR

Carpenters and Millwrights Union

Communications Workers of America

Fraternal Order of Police

Greater Louisville Association of Realtors

Jefferson County Teachers Association

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

Kentucky Citizens Against Domestic Violence and Pet Abuse

Kentucky Physicians PAC

Kentucky Professional Firefighters

Kentucky Right to Life

Kentuckians Against Domestic Violence and Pet Abuse

Kentuckians for Medicinal Marijuana

Louisville Apartment Association

22 Strong (Veterans’ Group)

AWARDS

Court Appointed Special Advocates Legislative Champion Award. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are citizens appointed by judges to represent children who have been abused and neglected. CASA volunteers are on the front lines in protecting our most vulnerable. I am honored beyond words to be one of three House members to have received this recognition, and I will fight for CASA as long as I serve in the House of Representatives.

Department of Public Advocacy Public Advocate of the Year. The Department of Public Advocacy represents indigent defendants who have been accused of committing a crime. Our public advocates do very good work under extremely difficult situations. And they do it excellently. A properly funded DPA protects the constitutional rights of us all, regardless of whether we are ever accused of a crime. I’m proud to fight for public advocates all across our Commonwealth, and I am humbled by this recognition.

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Legislative Champion Award. The Kentucky Chamber advocates on behalf of businesses across the state. The Chamber has been an integral part of stoking an economic boom in Kentucky, where unemployment is at historic lows, there are more jobs and people working than every before, investment is soaring, and more Kentuckians are climbing out of poverty than ever before. The Chamber has been at the forefront of fighting for policies that will keep our economy humming. I am proud to stand with the Chamber and continue to move Kentucky in the right direction.

Greater Louisville, Inc.’s Most Valuable Legislator. GLI fights for our local businesses. So I am happy to stand with them. Kentucky has many problems, but the best way to address our issues is to foster economic growth. We cannot tax or cut our way out of our problems. We must focus on long-term growth and make our communities more competitive to help our current businesses grow and to attract outside businesses to come to Kentucky.

Legal Aid Legislator of the Year. Legal Aid represents less-fortunate people in civil matters. Services provided by Legal Aid is important in every state, but they are critical in a poor state like Kentucky. Legal Aid Louisville states their mission this way, “The mission of the Legal Aid Society is to pursue justice for people in poverty. We provide free legal services to the most disadvantaged in our community. We fight on your behalf when your health, safety, and stability are unjustly threatened.” I am a strong proponent of Legal Aid for many reasons. For one, a strong Legal Aid program benefits not only the person being represented, but it helps the court system as a whole by expediting these cases, among other reasons.

Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Robert Lotz 2018 Public Policy Award. This award is presented to a member of the legislative or executive branches of government, or to a community or business leader, who has promoted, established or implemented public policy that protects individual liberties, ensures a fair process, and guarantees reliable results in criminal cases. A strong criminal defense bar is essential to preserve the rights of not only the accused, but of everyone in our society. I am unequivocally proud to stand with our amazing criminal defense attorneys and to fight for criminal justice reform that will keep us safer, more fairly treat defendants, and focus our scarce public-protection resources on serious crime.

Kentucky Youth Advocates Stepping Up for Children Award. The Kentucky Youth Advocates are always pressing to improve the lives of kids in our state. They are tireless. And they are effective. They say they want to make Kentucky the best place in America for a kid to live. I am confident that every milestone along that journey will be led by the Kentucky Youth Advocates. I am glad to be in a position to support them in their efforts, and I am humbled by this recognition.