The 2018 General Assembly passed major reforms that will help move the state forward. Thursday, the Kentucky Chamber announced the recognition of 14 legislators who displayed conspicuous actions to improve the business climate of the state. Recipients of the 2018 Kentucky Chamber MVP Award showed strong leadership for the business community by sponsoring or carrying Kentucky Chamber priority legislation, showing leadership on passage of critical legislation to improve Kentucky or by taking hard votes in defense of business.
“With so many important issues in play during this high-profile legislative session, we feel it is important to highlight the efforts of those legislators who went out of their way to help create a positive business climate and improve Kentucky’s financial house,” said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson. “These 14 legislators fought for a better business climate and helped advance Kentucky.”
Below are the legislators selected for this year’s MVP awards and highlights of how they went to bat for the business community this session.
- President Robert Stivers carried House Bill 2, workers’ compensation reform, was a strong advocate for business issues including passing a budget that prioritizes education funding, pension reform that puts Kentucky on a path toward sustainability, and tax reform that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
- Speaker David Osborne demonstrated leadership for key business issues including passing a budget that prioritizes education funding, pension reform that puts Kentucky on a path toward sustainability, and tax reform that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
- Damon Thayer showed leadership in passing key business issues including passing a budget that prioritizes education funding, pension reform that puts Kentucky on a path toward sustainability, and tax reform that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
- Jonathan Shell sponsored House Bill 3, which incorporates essential skills into the K-12 education system and showed leadership in passing a budget that prioritizes education funding, pension reform that puts Kentucky on a path toward sustainability, and tax reform that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
- Adam Koenig sponsored House Bill 2, workers’ compensation reform, and showed leadership for the business community on several issues.
- Ralph Alvarado sponsored many pieces of legislation to improve Kentucky’s legal liability climate, specifically Senate Bill 2, a constitutional amendment on tort reform, and carried peer review legislation to passage.
- Bam Carney carried pension reform legislation that puts Kentucky on a path toward sustainability.
- Joe Bowen sponsored pension reform legislation and was essential to the passage of reforms.
- Jim Gooch sponsored House Bill 227, legislation to modernize private rooftop solar laws, and showed leadership for the business community on several issues.
- Jason Nemes sponsored House Bill 198, transparency in private attorney contracting.
- Addia Wuchner sponsored House Bill 4, medical peer review legislation.
- John Sims voted across party lines multiple times to support key Chamber priorities including workers’ compensation, peer review and transparency in private attorney contracting. Rep. Sims also was the primary co-sponsor of essential skills legislation.
- Steven Rudy chaired the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, helping craft a biennial budget that prioritizes education funding, and passed House Bill 366, tax reform legislation that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
- Chris McDaniel chaired the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee helping pass a biennial budget that prioritizes education funding and passed tax reform legislation that improves Kentucky’s competitiveness.
In addition to monitoring the progress of bills that directly relate to the strength of the Commonwealth’s business community, the Chamber tracks how each legislator votes on these bills. The Chamber’s MVP Award recipients displayed more than just a business-friendly voting record, but went out of their way to support an issue critical to the business climate in Kentucky. To see how the MVP Award recipients and other legislators voted on business issues during the 2018 Kentucky General Assembly, view the Chamber’s Results for Business publication here.