The selection process for a high-profile Kentucky cabinet position would be drastically changed under a measure that cleared the Senate on Thursday in Senate Bill (SB) 4.
Sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Higdon, SB 4 would create a new board that would be charged with nominating candidates to the governor to name Kentucky’s transportation secretary.
The 10-member board of representatives from across the state would also oversee the Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) program, which takes a data-driven, objective approach to compare capital improvement projects and prioritize limited transportation funds.
As for how the transportation secretary would be selected, Higdon said Kentucky is currently one of nine states where the governor appoints the transportation secretary without any legislative approval.
The bill passed through the Senate with two floor amendments that would require the board membership to reflect gender and racial diversity and make technical corrections to the legislation.
Senate Bill 4 now moves to the House for consideration in committee.
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