The 2023 General Assembly saw monumental progress on several critical priorities of the Kentucky business community. Following the legislative session, the Kentucky Chamber announced the recognition of 14 legislators who displayed conspicuous actions to ensure Kentucky’s growth, strengthen businesses across the Commonwealth, and improve competitiveness throughout the state.
The pro-growth policies passed during the 2023 legislative session saved Kentucky businesses an estimated $1.5 billion, roughly $921 for each employee in the Commonwealth— marking the fourth year in a row of savings equal to more than a billion dollars for the business community— thanks to the General Assembly and the Chamber’s aggressive advocacy.
Recipients of the 2023 Kentucky Chamber MVP Award showed strong leadership for the business community by sponsoring or carrying Kentucky Chamber priority legislation to final passage, showing leadership on passage of critical legislation to improve Kentucky, or by taking hard votes in defense of business.
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:
- Senate President Robert Stivers was instrumental in ensuring passage of several top priorities of the business community including reducing taxes and supporting signature industries.
- Speaker of the House David Osborne was instrumental in ensuring passage of several top priorities of the business community including reducing taxes and supporting signature industries.
- Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer provided leadership on important issues, including legislation to protect Kentucky’s signature industries, and worked against legislation that would have been costly for job creators.
- House Majority Leader Steven Rudy was a consensus builder on several business priorities, specifically relating to tax, and worked against legislation that would have been costly for job creators.
- Senate Caucus Chair Julie Raque Adams played a key role in legislation to support signature industries including the phase-out of the job-killing tax on aging spirits and the bill to allow sports wagering.
- Rep. Samara Heavrin championed legislation to enact statewide standards for substance use disorder recovery housing to ensure quality, safety, and effectiveness.
- Rep. Brandon Reed championed bills to further reduce Kentucky’s income tax rate and provide additional resources to rural hospitals.
- Rep. Killian Timoney championed legislation to ban an illegal form of gambling known as “gray machines,” which are unregulated, untaxed betting machines.
- Rep. Russell Webber championed legislation to further reform Kentucky’s unemployment insurance system to address Kentucky’s workforce challenges.
- Sen. Jared Carpenter championed legislation to allow Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) awardees to use their scholarship money at proprietary schools that offer training programs within Kentucky’s top-five high-demand workforce sectors to address Kentucky’s workforce challenges.
- Rep. Michael Meredith championed legislation to allow sports wagering in Kentucky, which improves competitiveness.
- Rep. Jason Petrie was instrumental in ensuring passage of priority legislation to reduce taxes and to phase out the job-killing tax on aging spirits.
- Sen. Brandon Storm supported the business community position against legislation that would have greatly increased costs on business and supported sports wagering in Kentucky.
- Sen. Chris McDaniel was instrumental in ensuring passage of priority legislation to reduce taxes and to phase out the job-killing tax on aging spirits.
To learn more about top priorities of the business community that passed and how legislators voted on priority bills view the Kentucky Chamber’s 2023 Results for Business publication.