KFTC Voter Guide May 2019 Primary by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Statewide races

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

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VOTER GUIDE

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, KY 40743

2019 Kentucky Primary Election

Online at www.KentuckyElection.org Non Profit ORG U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, Ky. Permit No. 879

This Voter Guide contains survey responses from statewide candidates on the ballot in the May 21 Primary Election.

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About KFTC and this guide is a statewide grassroots social justice organization working for a new balance of power and a just society. KFTC uses direct-action organizing to accomplish the following goals: • foster democratic values • challenge and change unjust institutions • empower individuals • overcome racism and other discrimination • communicate a message of what’s possible • build the organization • help people participate • win issues that affect the common welfare • have fun KFTC membership dues are $15 to $50 per year, based on ability to pay. No one is denied membership because of inability to pay. Membership is open to anyone who is committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change. MAIN OFFICE P.O. Box 1450 London, Kentucky 40743 606-878-2161 | Fax: 606-878-5714 www.kftc.org info@kftc.org

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is a community of people inspired by a vision and working to improve the quality of life for all Kentuckians. Together we organize for a fair economy, healthy environment, clean and affordable energy, and a fair and healthy democracy. KFTC is pleased to provide this guide as a resource to help voters cast informed votes in the primary election on May 21. We hope it helps shine a light on candidates’ positions about a range of issues important to Kentucky voters. We believe that our democracy works best when more people are informed and involved in the process. This publication contains responses to KFTC’s candidate survey from individuals running for the seven statewide constitutional offices. KFTC’s online voter guide, found at www.KentuckyElection. org, also includes these responses. KFTC sent a letter and survey questions to candidates in the races we covered. We followed up vigorously, leaving multiple phone, email, Facebook and Twitter messages to encourage participation from all candidates. We published all responses word-for-word. The majority of the candidates responded to KFTC’s survey and we appreciate their effort to let voters know more about themselves and their positions on issues. We encourage every voter to examine each candidate’s words carefully. Then do your own research and make your decisions. Please share this guide with friends and family and encourage others to check out the online guide at KentuckyElection.org. We hope you find it a valuable and motivating resource as you prepare to cast your vote on May 21!

Table of Contents Governor’s race .................................................................................... 3

Front cover: Alayna Milby, Ariana Ray, Megan Adkins and Denise Houchins (left to right) after a morning of get-out-thevote texting in the Southern Kentucky office. This Voter Guide is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and mailed third class from Louisville, KY. Send feedback to P.O. Box 864, Prestonsburg, KY 41653 or jhardt@kftc.org.

Attorney General’s race ..................................................................... 10 Secretary of State .............................................................................. 16 Auditor of Public Accounts ............................................................... 21 Commissioner of Agriculture ............................................................ 26 State Treasurer ................................................................................... 32 Absentee Voting Information ............................................................ 35 Your rights as a Kentucky voter ........................................................ 35

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Governor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Democratic Primary Four candidates are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor. The winner will face the Republican party nominee in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to the four candidates who responded to the survey. Their answers follow. Voters registered as Democrats may vote for one of the following:

The governor is the chief executive officer of the commonwealth, meaning that they are the highest ranking official in the Executive Branch. The governor oversees the enforcement of laws and services for Kentuckians, has the ability to veto legislation that comes through the General Assembly, and more. The lieutenant governor runs for office jointly with the governor and serves on many commissions and boards. If something were to happen to the governor, the lieutenant governor would take their place.

Rocky Adkins

Andy Beshear

Adam Edelen

Geoffrey Young

www.rockyforky.com

www.andybeshear.com

www.adamedelen.com

www.young4ky.com

www.facebook.com/ RockyForKy

www.facebook.com/ AndyBeshearKY

www.facebook.com/ AdamEdelenKY

www.facebook.com/ geoffrey.m.young.9

twitter.com/ RockyForKy

twitter.com/ andybeshearky

twitter.com/ adamhedelen

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run as a slate. Stephanie Horne

Jacqueline Colemen

Gill Holland

Joshua French

Photo not provided

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Governor – Democrats QUESTION:

What’s your vision for Kentucky? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you’re elected?

Rocky Adkins: We are running on a simple, but important, platform: return common sense to the commonwealth. We believe that public education is the great equalizer, and we must ensure that every student, from our rural towns to our urban centers, receives the highest quality education. We believe that investing in infrastructure is the first step to creating opportunity for every hard-working Kentucky family, whether it’s improving our roads and bridges or building the high-speed internet network of the future. We believe that our focus should be on growing jobs that provide a fair wage and spur sustainable economic growth in all regions of the commonwealth. We believe that everyone should have access to health care. No Kentuckian should ever have to delay care or make the tough decision between purchasing prescription medication or paying their electric bill. As a cancer survivor, I believe we must make medical marijuana legal to help people that suffer from certain diseases and conditions. It is time we make voting easier, with extended early voting and automatic registration. The people of Kentucky will no longer have to fight alone for a better job, better schools, better health care, better roads, or a better way, by themselves. They will have a governor who will fight for them. Andy Beshear: Fully funding public education is the greatest economic investment we can make for our children. A good education gives every child—no matter in which zip code they live— a shot at the American dream. As attorney general, I’m fighting to protect all Kentuckians’ rights to affordable health care. I’ve joined several attorneys general fighting against a recent Texas ruling that would eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions, which would leave hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians without health insurance. As governor, I will also immediately repeal Gov. Bevin’s Medicaid waiver. We will work to recruit companies that don’t just bring jobs, but goodpaying jobs you can raise a family on. Kentucky’s wage and job growth is the third worst in the nation. I’m the most aggressive attorney general in the nation fighting opioid manufacturers and distributors in court. I’ve kept all nine lawsuits in Kentucky and directed $8 million so far to 15 treatment centers. I will continue that fight as governor. We will bring transparency and decency back to Frankfort. My running mate and I have released our tax returns so Kentuckians know who we work

QUESTION:

for. I call on every candidate to do the same. Adam Edelen: I believe in a Kentucky that provides a path to opportunity, health and economic security for all. A Kentucky that empowers those who’ve faced adversity, systematic exclusion from opportunity, or been made to believe they won’t amount to anything because of where they were born, their race, their sex, who they love or their parents’ income. As Governor, I will take real steps to put us on a path to making that a reality. That means reinvesting in and transforming our public education system, being realistic about climate change and our energy future, and supporting a living wage. It also means tackling the hard problems like job education, health care and investment in communities across the state that have been told again and again that there’s no hope. I’m the only candidate with a record of success in fighting corruption, creating jobs and improving government across our Commonwealth. I’m ready to do that as governor. Geoffrey Young: My vision is of a Commonwealth that is much more democratic and cooperative. The people, not money or lobbyists, should govern our Commonwealth. The Republican Party of Kentucky needs to become much weaker and smaller because almost everything it proposes is profoundly immoral and damaging to Kentucky’s poor and working people. Josh French and I have a very progressive platform: 1) Strengthen unions. 2) Stop corruption in the Executive, Judicial and Legislative Branches. 3) Legalize cannabis. 4) Support Planned Parenthood. 5) Stop supporting Israel’s violent policies. 6) Move toward Medicare-for-All. 7) Comprehensive tax reform; tax the super-rich more and the poor less. 8) Promote energy efficiency and renewable energy. 9) Promote worker-owned businesses and co-ops. 10) Keep the National Guard from being sent out of the US. 11) Abolish the death penalty. It pains me to say that although Rocky Adkins and I are honest Democrats, Adam Edelen (D) and Andy Beshear (D) are crooks. They conspired with other Democrats to rig important Democratic primaries in 2015 and 2018. I have filed criminal complaints and lawsuits against several dozen Democrats, and I will not rest until they are brought to justice for attacking democracy itself. Details available on request.

If you are elected Governor, what steps will you take to encourage transparency, media access and meaningful public participation in decisions made by state government?

Rocky Adkins: The capitol building is the people’s house. The recent moves by Gov. Bevin to limit access to our legislative chambers and the capitol building are unacceptable. As a legislative leader, I have seen committee rooms closed to voters trying to participate in the legislative process. I have seen bills rushed through the committee process without public input. Government should be inclusive and transparent, and I will work every day to make that a reality. I have a strong record of speaking with the media and not dodging tough questions.

Andy Beshear: Making Frankfort more transparent is one of my top priorities. That’s why I’ve released my taxes every year for the past three years, and my running mate, Jacqueline Coleman, will release her taxes this year for the second year in a row. I think every person seeking the office of governor or lieutenant governor should meet this standard. I’ve reopened the Capitol doors each and every time Gov. Bevin tried to shut people out. Kentuckians should always be able to access their state house—especially when they disagree with those inside. answers continued on next page

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Governor – Democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Transparency and public participation … I also believe that state legislators should have term limits, just like constitutional officers. The people of Kentucky deserve nothing less than full transparency from their government. Adam Edelen: Despite very little room to go but up from the current administration when it comes to transparency and public participation, our next governor must do much more. Kentuckians deserve access to knowledge about their government’s actions and decision-making, as well as meaningful input in those First, the next Governor of Kentucky must work with a legislature undergoing the state’s redistricting process for both Congress and the state legislature. I will champion measures to ensure openness in the process and an independent commission if necessary. Second, I will support laws that require disclosures for executive branch lobbying similar to those required for legislative lobbying that will help prevent the kind of pay-to-play lobbying and bribery we’ve seen in the past. Third, I’ll set a high standard for openness to the media and willingness to answer questions both easy and tough. I know that the most basic transparency comes in a willingness to be honest with Kentuckians, but don’t just take my word for it – even in the short period of this campaign, I’ve been the only candidate willing to take clear stances on issues from women’s health to climate change.

QUESTION:

Geoffrey Young: Corruption thrives on secrecy. I was inspired by the measures the Governor of Michigan recently took: “Michigan’s Executive Directive 2019-11 will expand the reach and effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act to create a more transparent state government by: -- Designating a transparency liaison within departments and agencies to facilitate Freedom of Information Act requests and find ways to disclose public records in a cost-efficient manner. -- Limiting the use of extension periods to grant Freedom of Information Act requests in a timely manner. -- Encouraging all Freedom of Information Act requests to be fulfilled by, or before, the deadline. -- Requiring departments and agencies to send a notice if the request will take longer to fulfill. -- Prohibiting members from using electronic communication to conduct business during public meetings. -- Urging the use of live streaming to broadcast public meetings to anywhere in the state. -- Requiring the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget to devise an online system where public notices and records can be uploaded.” In addition, all financial transactions of the Democratic and Republican Parties should be reported publicly because their primaries are funded by taxpayers.

Do you believe that we have an obligation and opportunity to act on climate change? What actions would you take to ensure that solutions, such as clean energy jobs and reducing high energy bills, benefit all Kentuckians, including low-income communities, communities of color, and those who are most impacted by the changing climate?

Rocky Adkins: Coal mining has supported Eastern and Western Kentucky families for generations. It has played an essential role in our past and our present. We need to invest in a diversified energy economy in the coalfields in the future. I sponsored the Kentucky Energy Independence National Leadership Act, which brought the coal and environmental industries together along with the academic community to implement energy incentives to attract new technologies of the future. This bill increased the utilization of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and created the Center for Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Stewardship at the University of Louisville, now known as the Conn Center. This brought research and development money into Kentucky to advance new energy technologies. It also promoted conservation and incentives for energy-efficient construction. I support programs that would train former coal miners and others to work in the energy efficiency sector, making energy-saving retrofits. These retrofits lower energy bills, make homes and businesses healthier, lower energy use, and put people back to work. This year, I worked with solar and environmental leaders to make sure the netmetering bill is fair without harming a growing industry. Andy Beshear: Climate change is real. We need an all-the-above energy policy that includes renewables and any jobs that will create. At the same time, one of the biggest challenges our Kentucky families face, especially in eastern Kentucky, is their energy bills going up year after

year, while good jobs are hard to find and keep, and wages remain flat. Kentucky families shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their utility bills. Unfortunately, that’s a decision many families have to make. As attorney general over the last three years, my office has opposed dozens of utility bill hikes, and has helped save Kentucky families nearly $1.2 billion. And another $200 million in rate hikes that would impact about 90 counties are currently proposed. At a time when we lost 2,000 jobs in October, our families simply can’t afford it. I fight hard on this front every day in the attorney general’s office. We need a governor who understands the struggles facing our people. Kentucky families can trust that I’ll always put their interests first. Adam Edelen: I am the only candidate for governor of Kentucky whose ever made it a clear part of their campaign that we must act on climate change. This is both a moral imperative for our environment and future and an economic imperative for our state that we cannot afford to ignore. Geoffrey Young: Global overheating is a real problem. I worked for 15 years in state government in Frankfort, most of that time as the assistant director of Kentucky’s state energy office. Energy efficiency is a key part of our economic development strategy. No one benefits from wasted energy, and many answers continued on next page

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Governor – Democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Action on climate change … sustainable jobs can be generated by weatherizing homes and businesses, manufacturing solar panels, and installing hydroelectric turbines at existing dams. Over the last century, coal industry and utility company lobbyists have managed to pass laws that actually prevent us from eliminating waste. One example is the lobbying going on right now to discourage solar energy technolo-

QUESTION:

gies by gutting the existing net metering law. Our administration will work for what’s best for people and the environment – regardless of short-sighted corporate interests. I will appoint commissioners to the Public Service Commission (PSC) who understand that energy efficiency can sustainably lower the electric and gas bills of all Kentuckians.

Do you support a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to tens of thousands of Kentuckians with felonies in their past who have completed their full sentence? If the state legislature remains locked on this issue, would you use executive power to restore voting rights to all Kentuckians with felonies in their past who are currently restricted from voting? Please explain.

Rocky Adkins: Our commonwealth is stronger when more people vote, and it’s downright un-American to put up roadblocks for people trying to cast a ballot. Whether it’s my 83-year-old father in Elliott County or a young woman in Jefferson County working three jobs, everyone deserves to have a say at the polls. As governor, I will remove restrictive barriers that prevent Kentucky voices from being heard. I have voted many times for the restoration of voting rights during my service in the House and I support broader legislation, like early voting and automatic voter registration, to allow more people to vote.

her voice silenced in the most fundamental right we each have. It’s essentially like asking someone to pay taxes but not have a say in who represents them. My administration will ensure all Kentuckians have a voice in their state government and in their communities once they’ve paid their debt to society.

Andy Beshear: Voting is a fundamental American right. Unfortunately, Kentucky has the third highest voter disenfranchisement rate in the country. Nearly one in 10 Kentuckians, and nearly one in four African-Americans, aren’t allowed to vote. This is wrong. I support restoring voting rights for Kentuckians with felony convictions for non-violent crimes, and who have completed their sentence. Like the last Governor Beshear, I will sign an executive order automatically restoring voting rights and allowing offenders to hold public office. We can’t expect someone to pay off his or her debt to society and then have his or

Geoffrey Young: Definitely yes to both parts of that question. Kentucky is one of the worst states for taking away the voting rights of former felons. I strongly support the bill filed by Representative George Brown Jr., D-Lexington, which would restore voting rights to felons who have served their time, were not convicted of violent sex offenses or homicide, and have completed restitution and parole. Because it would be a proposed amendment to the state Constitution, it would require the approval of 60 percent of lawmakers and ratification by Kentucky’s voters. If the General Assembly fails to act, I will restore former felons’ voting rights by executive action.

QUESTION:

Adam Edelen: Yes. I will put my full support behind an amendment to restore voting rights to all Kentuckians who have served out their full sentence, and if the legislature won’t take this common sense action, I’ll act use my own pen to restore voting rights.

Will you protect or even expand access to Medicaid for the nearly 400,000 low-income Kentuckians who qualified for health care – including vision, dental and mental health – for the first time under the Affordable Care Act? What is your view of the current administration’s efforts to limit access to Medicaid, including new co-pay requirements, restrictions on vision and dental coverage and work requirements?

Rocky Adkins: Expanded Medicaid was a game-changer for Kentucky that has saved lives, improved our collective health and pumped billions of dollars into our economy. The work requirements implemented by the current governor have restricted access to necessary care for some of the most vulnerable Kentuckians. He’s wrong and the policies should be reversed. Expanded Medicaid isn’t only a health care policy; it’s also an economic development issue that supports the health care industry across our state, including our rural hospitals. Andy Beshear: Affordable healthcare is a basic human right. Every Kentuckian should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. I’m currently fighting to protect healthcare for all Kentuckians.

If elected, I will repeal the Medicaid waiver immediately. If implemented, this waiver would cause 100,000 Kentuckians to lose their healthcare. Most on expanded Medicaid are working one or two jobs or caring for an ailing family member. I will absolutely keep expanded Medicaid in place, which helped nearly 500,000 Kentuckians gain access to healthcare, many for the first time. This isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also good for our economy. As attorney general, I’ve stood up time and again when this governor has tried to strip health care from hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians. I proudly joined other attorneys general opposing a ruling by a Texas judge that would answers continued on next page

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Governor – Democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Medicaid / health care … end the expansion, remove protections for pre-existing conditions, charge women and seniors more for health services and rip coverage away from many of our friends and neighbors. As governor, I will stabilize the market, lower the cost of prescription drugs and make sure insurance companies can’t send you a “surprise bill,” because everyone is paying too much for health care. Adam Edelen: I absolutely and unequivocally support protection of Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion and will halt all attempts undertaken by the current administration to strip Kentuckians of that care. The only way we can succeed as a state is if people in every community and at every income level have access to preventive and diagnostic care. Co-pays and so-called “work requirements” increase government bureaucracy, put more barriers between the poor and access to care and reduce coverage in our state. As a former state auditor, I’m intimately familiar with the challenges of healthcare access, quality, and cost in our state. Early in the rollout of expanded Medicaid, I was responsible for holding MCOs accountable for timely payments and limiting disruptions to mental health care in Kentucky. As governor, I will bring that same knowledge and dedication to bear in ensuring that not just Medicaid, but our entire system of care is geared towards helping provide the highest quality care to the most people at reasonable cost.

QUESTION:

Geoffrey Young: Healthcare should be a right of every citizen in the wealthiest nation on the planet. Until that becomes a reality federally, the Young/ French administration believes we can accomplish that at a state level. It is the duty of government to support the general welfare of its citizens. All Kentuckians should have access to mental health, dental, and vision coverage. Our citizens are happiest when they’re healthy. Healthcare shouldn’t be tied to your employment. When in between jobs or temporarily out of work, we shouldn’t have to shell out the majority of our income to sustain some form of health coverage through the COBRA program. They also shouldn’t have to face financial hardship during those same circumstances for having a health procedure performed. There should be no added stress to the already stressful situation of losing an income. Without healthcare being tied to employment, those worries disappear and coverage remains the same. This also benefits employers immensely by freeing up capital that would be used to otherwise secure health benefits for their employees. Businesses will then have more money to increase the wages of their employees, adding other economic benefits. It’s a win-win scenario for Kentucky.

What is the Governor’s role in opposing white supremacy, addressing racial inequality and supporting racial justice for Black people, Latinx people, immigrants, those who are undocumented, and all people of color in Kentucky? Please identify at least two policy initiatives you would propose as Governor to address racial and systemic inequalities.

Rocky Adkins: Expanding access to voting and criminal justice reform are two ways we can begin to address inequality in Kentucky. I will have a cabinet that includes people of color and other minority groups. We need people of different backgrounds and experiences sitting at the table when policies are made. I will work to unite our commonwealth and put a stop to the divisive agenda of Gov. Bevin. Andy Beshear: Kentuckians deserve a governor that they can look up to and turn to in tough times for guidance and leadership, and we’ve been missing that for three years. In the Attorney General’s Office, I’m proud that more than 60 percent of the leadership positions are held by women or people of color. As governor, my cabinet will include Kentuckians of all different backgrounds—because government works best when all of us have a seat at the table. A Beshear/Coleman administration will build a government that works for every single one of us, not just the well-connected few. Adam Edelen: When there are communities that have been systematically excluded, kept down, or marginalized, it is the duty of our political leaders to take active steps to address it. Unfortunately leaders today too often choose to capitalize on division and hatred.

One clear policy I will immediately support is to restore voting rights for felons. Kentucky’s current law means that one in four black Kentuckians lacks the right to vote. If this is not a quintessential example of systematic exclusion of people of color I don’t know what is. Geoffrey Young: Comprehensive tax reform – raising taxes on huge corporations, the rich, and the super-ultra-rich – will help all low-income Kentuckians, regardless of their ethnic, gender, or national identities. The Young/ French Administration will work to end race-based gerrymandering and voter suppression in general and primary elections. The state’s budget illustrates whether the General Assembly is moral or immoral, but recent budgets have been more and more immoral. Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies simply do not protect Kentuckians’ civil rights; that critically important function has been foisted off on the FBI and federal prosecutors, neither of which do a good job. We will promote unions, which protect all workers regardless of their ethnic identities. To protect Kentucky’s environment is to protect the health of minorities and low-income white people. Kentucky should cooperate as little as possible with ICE and should encourage sanctuary cities; eventually, Kentucky should become a sanctuary state. That’s eight policy initiatives right there.

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Governor – Democrats QUESTION:

Kentucky has a tax code that does not raise enough revenue to meet the Commonwealth’s budgetary needs. After years of budget cuts, public education, infrastructure, state worker pensions and other essential programs have reached dangerous levels of disinvestment. What solutions would you support to raise the necessary revenue for the public investments Kentuckians need and deserve?

Rocky Adkins: There are $13 billion of tax loopholes in the Kentucky tax code, which is about $2 billion more than our entire general fund budget. Fair and comprehensive tax reform that leads to only 10 percent of that $13 billion will give the state $1.3 billion to fund necessary programs, without losing any competitive advantage in recruiting or retaining business and industry. Consumption taxes are unfair to lower income populations and are not the answer to a revenue problem. Kentucky must stop balancing its checkbook on the backs of working families. We will also look at ways to generate revenue through medical marijuana, hemp, and other new industries. Andy Beshear: As governor, I will support two ways of generating new revenue without raising anyone’s taxes: expanded gaming and medical marijuana. It is time that Kentucky keep up with surrounding states and moves toward expanded gaming. Hundreds of millions of dollars are lost every year to bordering states who allow various types of gaming. I’ve lead the way on this issue for years and it’s long overdue. We also have the ability now to bring in money from sports betting, fantasy sports, casino gaming and online poker. This would create jobs and a dedicated revenue stream for our pension system. If we could secure hundreds of millions of dollars for our ailing pension system. With this new source of revenue for pensions, we would then have more money to spend on infrastructure and public education. I also think it’s time to let the people of Kentucky decide whether to legalize medical marijuana via constitutional amendment. But we need to act quickly so we aren’t left behind.

QUESTION:

Adam Edelen: Kentuckians are tired of having the failures of our tax system being borne by working families, students, and the local governments that now face daunting shortfalls because of mismanagement at the state level. Further, the shift to a greater reliance on sales taxes without a corresponding increase in supports for low-income Kentuckians only increases inequality in our state. We need to get serious about revenue opportunities that will both allow us to build the government and public education system Kentuckians deserve while raising funds in a fair and equitable manner. Terrific first steps in this direction include legalized gaming and an increase in the cigarette tax. But we must also make harder choices. I am open to working with Kentucky legislators and stakeholders to examine other solutions, including an adjustment in the property tax cap or an additional tax bracket on high earners in the commonwealth. Geoffrey Young: Tax the ultra-rich, tax huge corporations, and reduce taxes on poor and working-class people. The proposals of former State Representative Jim Wayne and the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy represent a superb foundation on which to build comprehensive tax reform. See the April, 2017 document, “What Good Tax Reform Looks Like” at this web site: https://kypolicy.org/good-tax-reform-looks-like/ I will explore the following options in addition to getting something like the 2017 bill, HB 263, passed: doing away with Kentucky’s regressive sales tax entirely and replacing it with a more steeply graduated state income tax, raising property taxes on wealthy homeowners, raising taxes on huge corporations, and instituting a state wealth tax.

Do you support Kentucky’s public workers having a quality public pension? What do you consider to be a quality public pension?

Rocky Adkins: What happened to educators and public employees in the last legislative session is inexcusable. No educator, school bus driver, fire fighter, police officer or other public employee should have to beg for the dignity of the pension they were promised. A pension is a promise that must be kept, and as your governor, I will keep that promise. In 2013, the legislature implemented reforms to strengthen the faltering retirement system. Those reforms are working, and the numbers prove it. To solve this pension problem we must keep the reforms we made in 2013 and fully fund it. In addition, we need to identify a dedicated fund source for our pension system. We need to review the $13 billion in annual tax breaks and close enough loopholes to shore up our pension system. We must also not forget that teachers do not receive Social Security; they are especially dependent on their pensions. Lowering them would also make it tougher to lure our best and brightest to Kentucky classrooms. Andy Beshear: I personally fought for and defended the promised pensions of more than 200,000 teachers, police officers, firefighters, EMS, social

workers and nearly every city and county employee in the front of the Kentucky Supreme Court and won. Yes. I believe Kentucky’s public workers deserve a defined benefit retirement plan. The role they play in our society is crucial, and they deserve a solid and guaranteed retirement. We must also keep the promises we’ve made to them. A quality public pension allows our retirees to have a degree of security and peace of mind in return for their dedicated years of service. The name calling and bullying from our current governor has done nothing constructively to move this issue forward. All of our public workers deserve to retire with dignity. Adam Edelen: It’s a non-negotiable starting point that the public employees who have met their obligations and paid into their public pension plan deserve that pension. Beyond that, however, I am committed to taking steps to answers continued on next page

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Governor – Democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Quality public pension … ensure that current and future public workers have access to a pension plan that provides a secure retirement. Geoffrey Young: Kentucky made an inviolable contract with state workers, and it is immoral to break that promise. I support Chris Tobe’s pension

QUESTION:

What will you do to support LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer) Kentuckians? What will you do to protect people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

Rocky Adkins: I will fight for all Kentuckians, regardless of race, ethnicity, how much money they make, or their sexual orientation. Anyone who cares about the future of our commonwealth, and is willing to help us get there, has my respect. I believe that everyone has the right to a roof over their head, access to a good job, and affordable health care, no matter who they are. Andy Beshear: As attorney general, I’ve been a voice for the voiceless and ensured everyone is equally protected under the law I’ve sworn to uphold. In my office, we designed the first Attorney General’s Survivors Council and just added 20 incoming members who will advocate for victims rights the next two years throughout the Commonwealth and nation. As governor, I will continue to do the same. Discrimination is wrong, and I’ll be a governor for every Kentucky resident. Adam Edelen: I was Kentucky’s first statewide elected official to endorse

To be eligible to register to vote, a person must: • • • • •

reform proposals. Mr. Tobe, CFA, who is running for State Auditor this year, is the author of “Kentucky Fried Pensions” and is probably the Commonwealth’s foremost expert on the pension crisis. Whether or not he wins in November, the Young/French Administration will work with him to implement as many of his proposals as possible.

Be a resident of Kentucky not less than 28 days before the election Be at least 18 years old by the date of the next General Election Not be a convicted felon (or, if so, have had your civil rights restored) Not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky

Minors 17 years of age who will become 18 by the November general election may register and vote in the primary.

marriage equality when it had an abysmal approval rating. I took that stance not because it was popular, but because I believe that no matter what side of the tracks you were born to, the color of your skin or who you love, that you deserve an equal opportunity to realize the American dream. Today, a majority of Kentuckians support marriage equality and I’m proud to have been there along the way. Geoffrey Young: I will work with the new Attorney General, the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court and all of Kentucky’s judges to get the Commonwealth’s Judicial Branch to enforce all civil rights laws. I support all local fairness ordinances and a proposed statewide fairness law that would eventually give LGBTQ people equal rights with all other Kentuckians, particularly in the areas of employment and housing. It is immoral to fire an LGBTQ person or deny them a place to live solely on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; it should be illegal as well.

Kentucky voters have the responsibility to: • • • • •

Register to vote at least 29 days before the election Respect the privacy and voting rights of others Follow instructions concerning election procedures Follow all federal and state voting laws Review your ballot before casting it to ensure it is complete and correct • Treat election workers and other voters with courtesy and respect • Be informed about candidates and issues on the ballot • Keep your voter registration and address records current

If you are uncertain whether you are registered to vote or unsure if you are registered to vote at your current address, please visit the Kentucky Voter Information Center at GoVoteKY.com.

Get involved with KFTC to help turn out the vote in May and November, and to continue working year round to improve life for everyone in Kentucky.

Find us online at: www.KFTC.org/facebook www.kftc.org @KFTC

10 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

April 2019

Governor – Democrats QUESTION:

Kentucky has the ninth highest incarceration rate in the nation, is second in the nation for incarcerating women, and has the second highest rate in the country of children separated from a parent due to incarceration. In addition, Black Kentuckians makeup 8.3% of the state population but 21% of the state’s incarcerated population. Are you committed to ending mass incarceration in Kentucky? If elected, what will you do to make strides toward ending mass incarceration?

Rocky Adkins: I believe in reducing our prison population through rehabilitation programs and reduced sentences for non-violent offenders. People should be welcomed back as fully-fledged members of their communities and the workforce once they’ve paid their debt to society. One way to lower mass incarceration before it even begins is by revitalizing communities across Kentucky. We need to make sure people have ample access to opportunity, education, health care, and can create a future for themselves and their families. Lastly, it is imperative to the future of our commonwealth that we work to curb the opioid epidemic. We must pass sensible legislation that will keep our neighborhoods safe and increase access to prevention and treatment programs. Kentucky has one of the lowest violent-crime rates in the country. Our prison growth is driven substantially by drugs and issues tied to them. We must find more ways to curb the drug epidemic. Andy Beshear: There’s no doubt that bias exists in our criminal justice system; it is shameful and it needs to be eliminated. We lock up a disproportionate number of people of color, and that is wrong. As Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I’m committed to rooting out this bias and discrimination; I’ve worked to do so as attorney general and will continue to do so as governor. Adam Edelen: Kentucky is desperately in need of common sense reforms to build a more fair and equitable criminal justice system. Mass incarceration hurts Kentucky’s budget and economy; but, more importantly, it harms our families and communities with an unequal impact on communities of color. Confronting this fact requires reforms at all stages of the criminal justice process.

First, we must implement a fair pre-trial detention system that doesn’t lock up tens of thousands of Kentuckians for weeks or months just because they can’t make bail. Second, we need sentencing reform and a justice system that focuses on public safety and rehabilitation, not long or unjustifiable penalties for nonviolent drug and property crimes. To this end, I’ll support a review of all mandatory minimum sentences and sentencing practices in the Commonwealth. Third, incarceration should provide real rehabilitative and transformative opportunities. I want incarcerated Kentuckians to re-enter their communities not hardened, but healed and prepared for productivity. I will support increased opportunity for inmates as well as an end to our use of private prisons. Geoffrey Young: I am strongly committed to ending mass incarceration in Kentucky. It is one of the most damaging consequences of systemic racism in our society, and it’s a tremendous drain on the state’s budget. The role of private corporations in our prisons and jails must be reduced and eventually eliminated. The war on drugs, especially non-addictive drugs such as marijuana, has conclusively failed. No county’s economic development strategy should be based on getting a state or federal prison built there. Those jails and prisons that remain should have their budgets increased for the purpose of helping prisoners develop skills that will help them get and keep a good job Our platform calls for the permanent abolition of the death penalty in Kentucky and lists ten excellent reasons to do so: https://www.young4ky. com/abolish-the-death-penalty

Office of Attorney General primary The Attorney General serves as the state's chief prosecutor, chief law enforcement officer and the state's chief law officer, writing opinions to government officials and agencies concerning the law. Our current Attorney General, Andy Beshear, is running for governor, so this race has no incumbent. Democratic candidate Greg Stumbo is running unopposed for his party nomination. Republicans Daniel Cameron and Wil Schroder are vying for the Republican nomination. None of the candidates for Attorney General responded to our survey.

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; statewide races | 11

Governor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Republican Primary Four candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination for governor. The winner will face the Democratic Party nominee in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to the three candidates who responded to the survey. Their answers follow. Voters registered as Republicans may vote for one of the following:

Robert Goforth

Ike Lawrence

William Woods

www.goforthforky.com

www.ilikeikeforgovernor.com

www.mykentuckyfirst.org

www.facebook.com/ GoforthforKY

www.facebook.com/ I-Like-Ike-For-Governor -395412254368361

www.facebook.com/ woodsforkentucky

twitter.com/ goforthforky

Matt Bevin Did not respond

twitter.com/ WoodsforKY

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run as a slate. Mike Hogan

James Anthony Rose

Justin Miller

Photo not provided

Ralph Alvarado

12 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

April 2019

Governor – Republicans QUESTION:

What’s your vision for Kentucky? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you’re elected? What’s your vision for Kentucky? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you’re elected?

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: My vision for Kentucky is one of a Governor who listens more than he lectures; who leads more that he lambasts; and who is a conservative molded not by New England and Wall Street, but by Kentucky and Main Street. I want to replace Matt Bevin’s Corporate First Agenda with a People First Agenda where the average Kentuckian comes first. A GoforthHogan Administration will value people and change the tone in Frankfort. Ike Lawrence: Gov Bevin has chased two companies that never broke ground in Pikeville and Greenup Co.(Ashland). He also went to India for the federal gov’t, not the state of Kentucky. Meanwhile, I was stopping the foolishness of moving out of debt free gov’t buildings and tearing down a perfectly good bridge next to Rupp Arena. My vision is to address the Kentucky Uglies and Kentuckian’s Kitchen

QUESTION:

William Woods: On day one, we will enforce within the Governor’s Office a self-imposed rule of 100% Transparency. During our term, we will return the power of state government back to the people who truly are the backbone of the Commonwealth - the citizens. After our term, the Commonwealth will benefit from our ability to bring ALL citizens and political groups together for our mutual benefit. Too many times, divisive political positioning puts Kentuckians at a disadvantage. That will not be the case with our administration.

If you are elected Governor, what steps will you take to encourage transparency, media access and meaningful public participation in decisions made by state government?

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: My administration will be cooperative, not confrontational with Kentucky’s news media, and we will be fully transparent with the public. Ike Lawrence: The internet, digital media, cameras on phones, and all the latest wireless technology have made local, state and federal gov’t a thousand times more transparent and accessible than our parent’s generation. We can’t get more transparent than now.

QUESTION:

Table Issues. They are diabetes, obesity, heart disease, all cancers, ‎dental, car accidents, etc. These Uglies have taken a back seat to pension and opiod headlines these past four years. Entrepreneurs and small business startups are the ‘bird-in-the-hand’ that always beats an outside company’s false promises of ‘two-in the-bush’.

William Woods: I will be my own spokesperson. I will not have a media consultant. I will NEVER turn citizens or the media away. The Governor of the Commonwealth MUST respect the right of the citizens and a free press to ask the questions that others refuse to ask. As Governor, it will be my responsibility to set an example for the other members of state government. I will lead by example - not hide behind an office door.

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: We must balance our ecology and economy, and be realistic. Poor Kentuckians need heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I am not for pursuing policies that cause electric bills to skyrocket and endanger many people. Ike Lawrence: I do not feel state gov’t has an obligation to act on climate change as Man cannot control the weather or climate. We can lower energy bills across the board by conservation in home, business and inviting energy competition and alternatives into our great state.

William Woods: I do believe in climate change. Science and common sense tell me that humans are the cause. As the cause, we have the responsibility and obligation to offset our footprint. At a state level, being the individual in charge of the budget, I will enforce regulations to be set in place on day one of my administration. A few of them: Reduction in purchase and use of large SUVs and Full Size trucks for state agencies unless it is a job-specific requirement. Reduction in Executive-Level state travel unless it is a job-specific necessity. Reduction in the amount of paper mail sent by the state agencies of Kentucky

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 13

Governor – Republicans QUESTION:

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: If someone has paid their debt to society and is obeying the law, I support their rights being restored. I would examine use of executive power to achieve this goal. Ike Lawrence: Completion of their full sentence’ is a debate of definition. If one is out on parole or probation for good behavior after 7 years but still has 13 years until their sentence is finished, then I am for restoration after the full sentence has ended. I would not use executive power to restore voting rights. Ex-cons are restricted from voting because of their abhorrent behavior, not the victims. If one likes the vote, which they obviously don’t care

QUESTION:

about in order to commit a serious crime, then don’t commit the crime. If the victim can’t vote, why should the criminal? William Woods: If by the time I am sworn in, the Legislature has failed to restore the rights of felons in the Commonwealth, I will use Executive Power to do it myself. It is my belief that NO individual, regardless of their incarceration or conviction, should have their basic fundamental right to choose their representatives removed. The act of restricting voter rights, in my view, is an overreach and perversion of the power of government.

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: I believe in expanding health coverage where we can reasonably do it, and I’m not for wholesale chopping of huge numbers of people off Medicaid. The working poor and unemployed and underemployed Kentuckians need help. We cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of thousands upon thousands of our fellow Kentuckians. Ike Lawrence: I am for a higher co-pay instead of ‎work requirements for all recipients, most of whom are exempt from work requirements under the qualified exemptions. Any savings by a few working/ volunteering would be eaten up by the bureaucracy of more gov’t oversight. Gov’t and private health insurance works well when all parties have some skin in the game on costs.

William Woods: I will NEVER support a work requirement. I will NEVER support cutting healthcare for anyone who can’t afford it. No, I don’t believe healthcare should be free, however we must recognize the only way to have a prosperous Commonwealth is to have a HEALTHY Commonwealth. The absolute hypocrisy of my party surrounding this issue is embarrassing. We raise millions to support Right to Life, but when it comes time to protect those already living, my fellow republicans are silent. I am not, nor will I ever be one of those Republicans! If we fail to lead with compassion, are we really leading?

Identification Required

How do i report election problems?

All voters must produce identification or be known by a precinct officer prior to voting. KRS 117.227 and 31 KAR 4:010 provide the types of identification that can be used by the voter such as: personal acquaintance of precinct officer, driver’s license, Social Security card, credit card, or another form of written identification containing both picture and signature.

If you believe that your right to vote has been violated, contact one of the following: • • • •

Precinct Election Officers Local County Clerk State Board of Elections (502) 573-7100 Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline (800) 328-8683

14 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

April 2019

Governor – Republicans QUESTION:

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: I support policies that uplift all Kentuckians, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Ike Lawrence: I oppose any and all supremacy and hate groups. Two initiatives I would encourage is getting the father back in the home and ending welfare after 5 years or a sum of 60 months, like president Clinton initiated. Lack of father in the home and out of wedlock single parenthood is the number one reason for poverty in the US. William Woods: The Governor is the soul individual in the Commonwealth

QUESTION:

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: I’m for considering all reasonable and viable solutions to raise revenue, but I have a problem with predatory expanded gambling which I believe preys on the most vulnerable in our society. Ike Lawrence: Indiana and Tennesse are kicking our butt because one state has no state sales tax and the other state does not have burgeoning pension obligations strangling its budget. ‎I would raise net revenue by cutting out waste, fraud, fat and high salaries of top end officials. Getting a handle on our finances without raising more taxes will invite citizens and businesses of other states to move to our UnCommonwealth of Kentucky.

QUESTION:

responsible for equality. The Governor, at all times, should present a demeanor that shows acceptance, understanding and the willingness to listen. Unlike our current Governor and my other opponent, I will NOT speak dismissively to citizens. I will not speak to women as if they fail to understand how to make their own medical choices. Most important, I WILL respect ALL Kentuckians. The Governor is the elected LEADER of All Citizens. I will NEVER see an individual as different or less than because they have a different skin color, sexual orientation, or citizen status. The time to talk about equality is passed - we must now elect LEADERS that will actually FIGHT FOR IT.

William Woods: 1. The Budget needs more reduction. 2. Casinos must be legalized for tax revenue. 3. Marijuana Legalization should be addressed by the Legislature. 4. As Governor, I will direct all state agencies to present line item budgets each month to my office, in order to continually cut our reliance on taxpayer dollars. I will also name a task force to continually review departmental budgets, state revenue and income possibilities. As Governor, I will actually do the job that so many have failed to do.

Do you support Kentucky’s public workers having a quality public pension? What do you consider to be a quality public pension?

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: I absolutely support Kentucky’s public workers having a quality public pensions. Pensions are inviolable contracts and are binding moral and legal promises. I consider a defined benefit plan with adequate health coverage to be a quality public pension, and I support finding funding to fulfill’s the Commonwealth’s commitments. Ike Lawrence: I support fair pensions, not overpromised pensions. Underfunding is due to added benefits made retroactive to the original contract, I hear. We are the 7th highest in salaries to teachers and one of the top five in

liability to current retirees. If there are only three solutions, and one has been rejected on procedural grounds, then what is the solution by the teachers? If teachers have none, then we are on a collision course toward insolvency, which nobody wants. William Woods: Yes. In their case, the quality pension I support is the one they were promised. It’s time for the Legislature to come through on that promise. As Governor, I will be at the Legislative Building every single day meeting with leaders from both sides to force positive advancements on the issue.

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 15

Governor – Republicans QUESTION:

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: I believe that the Constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky protect everyone equally under the law. Ike Lawrence: I support all Kentuckians, regardless of their -hyphen before their title. I am very active In the Greater Lexington Apt Association and the National Apartment Association that brings fair, safe and affordable housing to Kentucky towns. William Woods: Discrimination, in any form, is immoral. As Governor, Kentuckians should know I will support ALL of them. On Day One, I will produce an Executive Order demanding ALL State

QUESTION:

Agencies enforce regulations that protect LGBTQ individuals. I will also hold quarterly meetings with leaders of these groups in Frankfort in order to hear their concerns directly. I will work with the people, not against them. I will also ask that any individual finding themselves in a position where they feel they’ve been treated unfairly by a state agency to email me directly. I will be hands on. Finally, I will proclaim The Commonwealth of Kentucky a “Safe State.” There should be no doubt that individuals who violate the rights of the LGBTQ Community will face the consequences. I’ll demand they be prosecuted to the harshest punishment under the law. Hate Crimes are unacceptable - Period.

Matt Bevin: No answer. Robert Goforth: The cost of incarceration is staggering both for our tax coffers and for society in general. I support a balanced approach that offers second chances to individuals deserving of those opportunities, but I am also mindful of the need to keep certain career criminals off the streets. Ike Lawrence: There is no such thing as mass incarceration. The masses are not incarcerated. It is individuals who commit crimes, not the masses. I am committed to getting more fathers back in their homes so that the stronger family unit can keep their children from doing wrong.

Know another voter who needs to see these candidates’ answers?

Go to ilikeikeforgovernor.com to read my vision for Kentucky and my 40-year resume in the private and community sector. William Woods: As Governor, I will make it clear that Kentucky will NOT support for-profit prisons. I will personally ask the Attorney General to investigate any agency.jurisdiction that has an unusually high rate of minority and female conviction. I will also support criminal justice reform that will focus on rehabilitation, not a cycle of repeat incarceration.

Send them to: KentuckyElection.org

16 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

April 2019

Secretary of State – Democratic Primary Four candidates are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for secretary of state. The winner will face the Republican nominee in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to the four candidates who responded to the survey. Their answers follow.

The secretary of state is responsible for providing and preserving a variety of information for the public. It is their duty to help Kentuckians stay informed about their government and the civic process. The Secretary of State is also chief election officer for the commonwealth and chairs the State Board of Elections.

Voters registered as Democrats may vote for one of the following:

Photo not provided

Jason Belcher

Heather French Henry

Jason Griffith

Geoff Sebesta

www.jasonforkentucky.com

www.heatherfrench henrysos.com

www.jasonsgriffith.com

www.unnecessaryg.com/ politicsky/S4SoS/index.htm

www.facebook.com/ heatherfrenchenryforky twitter.com/ missamerica2000

QUESTION:

www.facebook.com/ JasonForSoS twitter.com/ JasonforSos

www.facebook.com/ geoffsebesta twitter.com/ geoffsebesta

What is your vision for strengthening civic participation in Kentucky? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

Jason S. Belcher: My vision is encapsulated in three words: Stand Together Kentucky. The cornerstone of the idea is that we are all ambassadors. When we speak to someone who has a different political view than we do, or who belongs to a different group than our own, whether we know it or not we are an ambassador. Being a good ambassador means speaking with respect and listening to what the other person is saying. Spreading the Stand Together Kentucky philosophy across the state will be my first step. The second step is growing the E-Commonwealth, which means leveraging technology to facilitate not just voting but civic discourse. We have a vending machine model of government right now, which means we insert money in the form of taxes and hope to get services in return. But instead of a broken vending machine what we want is a modern online platform, and that is what the E-

Commonwealth will deliver. An E-Commonwealth means faster and more efficient government services. Heather French Henry: Kentucky needs to make civics a required class. The state must partner with our teachers to provide them the tools and programing to educate our students about the impact government has on their community. Kentucky needs to make it easier to vote. It is important to expand Election Day hours. Too many voters struggle to make it to vote because of other obligations. In addition, the state should extend the early voting period, and require county clerks to stay open on weekends during that early voting answers continued on next page

April 2019

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secretary of state – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Strengthening civic participation … period. Kentucky needs to make it easier to vote by mail—what’s better than voting in your pajamas from the comfort of your own home? The Secretary of State’s office should do more across the state to register voters by targeting residents through social media, and holding voter registration drives across the state. Jason Griffith: The General Assembly passed Senate Bill 159 in 2017 which requires high school students to pass a civics exam. However, people don’t become engaged by taking a test about government. The study of government and the active work of becoming engaged citizens are two different things. Civics has been a passive course of study for far too long. Increasing civic engagement and voter turnout is a big challenge. As a twenty-five year public school teacher, I can tell you that people do as adults what they learn when they are children. In order to improve civic engagement, young citizens need to be actively involved in the election process. That is why I would suggest a new award for high school students, the Commonwealth Civics Citation which can added to transcripts of graduating seniors. To receive this honor, students would have to pass the Kentucky Civics Test and also complete eight hours of volunteer service in either registering citizens to vote or by helping on Election Day at a polling place.

QUESTION:

Students who help others engage in the democratic process will be equipped and encouraged to join in themselves. Geoff Sebesta: The Secretary of State is in charge of making sure that people can vote; it is up to the candidates to make them want to vote. I intend to run an entertaining and extremely challenging campaign, but upon winning, my role will change substantially. Over my four years in office there will be more felons who can vote, more early voting, more absentee voting, and more people able to participate fully in our closed primary system, but during my term it will be entirely up to those running for election to make people want to vote. I will practice scrupulous fairness and avoid even the appearance of partisan behavior. I will run the most transparent administration in the history of the office, with instant publication of all official correspondence and a complete refusal to receive any privileged or secret information, as I am against all government secrecy in principle. I will use the powers of the Kentucky Constitution to expand the Secretary’s reporting practices as far into the office of the Governor as I possibly can. Finally, I will greatly increase the access of Kentuckians to business incorporation and other official business services.

How does your background qualify you for serving in this office? Please provide examples of your advocacy to protect and promote civic engagement in Kentucky.

Jason S. Belcher: I proudly served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for ten years including a deployment to Iraq in 2006. I was on active duty on September 11, 2001; I fought to protect my country and I will fight to defend Kentucky’s institutions and basic democratic norms. The leadership experience I gained as a commander along with the values of integrity, service, and excellence have well prepared me to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Secretary of State. As a community columnist for the Lexington Herald Leader I have repeatedly written of the need for better civic education and more civility in our political dialogue. The positive response I received from those columns indicated to me the idea resonated across Kentucky. I would continue those efforts as Secretary of State. Heather French Henry: I’ve been a local, state and national advocate for military veterans and their families for over 20 years. I served both Governor Beshear and Governor Bevin as the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs serving over 300,000 veterans in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I oversaw nearly 900 employees serving in 4 state veterans’ nursing centers, 5 state veterans’ cemeteries, statewide veterans’ benefits and programs that served women veterans and homeless veterans. I developed legislative policy for the department and assisting with the overall strategy for department’s budget of nearly $100 million. During my year of service as Miss America 2000, I worked with Congress, held strategic meetings with the White House, and visited veterans in hospitals, homeless shelters and veteran service organizations across the

nation. The late Congressman Lane Evans and the late Senator Paul Wellstone passed the Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act in honor of my advocacy work on the behalf of veterans. I organized veterans’ healthcare seminars across the nation to increase awareness for veteran-related combat health problems. In addition, I developed a strategy to build a World War I centennial commemoration to honor those who fought for our freedoms. Through … answer exceeds word limit Jason Griffith: As I have said before, I have taught for 25 years. In that capacity I have worked to help register young adults to vote. I have also been quite active in various rallies, town hall meetings, and events where public participation was encouraged. I attended many events where the public discourse was limited or barred entirely. These events concerned protesting Right-to-Work, supporting the prevailing wage, opposing charter schools, and fighting proposed cuts to state employee pensions. On each of these issues, I have joined with activists and taken an active and vocal stance. In so doing, I have brought to the attention of my friends and colleagues, concerns that impact them in the legislative process. I read bills and I look for ways in which people are affected. As a result, I have become a goto person in my area for legislative reading and how we work with people, legislators, and media to find common ground. I would also like to add that I am the founder of a software company which deals with sensitive human information. I understand the importance of protecting data. I can explain from an IT expert perspective how to put additional measures in place to better protect our data. answers continued on next page

18 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

April 2019

secretary of state – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Background and qualifications … Geoff Sebesta: I left Kentucky shortly after high school and had a number of adventures, working on political campaigns everywhere, for gubernatorial candidates in Texas and in New Jersey city council races, participating in endangered redwood treesits with North Coast Earth First, focalizing a nomadic activist medical collective named C.A.L.M. for over a decade, organizing with Occupy Austin, having two beautiful children and returning to Kentucky. I was inspired by the Take Back Cheapside campaign and have

QUESTION:

Jason S. Belcher: I believe the purpose of government is to protect and serve the people, not the other way around. I support early voting, mail-in ballots, and extended hours at polling locations. The onus is on the government to facilitate voting in as many safe and expedient means as possible. Research indicates that people who become U.S. citizens after legally immigrating from abroad know enough English to pass the citizenship test, rendering the need for multiple language ballots unnecessary. For modernizing elections laws, consider the following question: why can’t we vote from our smartphones? People in Estonia can vote via the internet, but not in Kentucky. There would be a series of action steps required for us to get there, and cyber security would be of paramount importance, but if we don’t have the courage to take those first steps we will never cross the finish line. In 2019, people can buy a house via their smartphone and receive diagnosis for medical conditions through facial recognition technology. Electronic voting is achievable, and to our advantage because it will increase participation, especially among younger voters. I would work to make Kentucky a national leader in e-voting without compromising our security. Heather French Henry: I support allowing early voting, allowing vote by mail ballots, extending hours at polling locations, and offering ballots in multiple languages. Jason Griffith: I will fight for bilingual ballots, early voting, and for expanded voting hours. In the age of the Internet, cable television, and social media, we should not be limiting voting access to just one single day from 6am to 6pm. Our current voting operations and hours are antiquated. I support mail-in ballots but I would first like to ensure that more peo-

QUESTION:

worked extensively in Kentucky politics over the last two years. I had central roles in the Arnold Farr, Rikka Wallin, and Geoff Young campaigns last year and worked as a volunteer for Adrian Wallace, Cherlynn Stevens, and Kelly Smith down in Berea. Lately I’ve been working with the Lexington DSA, mostly as a focalizer for their Public Works Committee. I also have extensive secretarial experience and can type more than 100wpm.

ple are registered to vote. I would vigorously support a change to automatic voter registration (AVR), in which users are automatically registered to vote when they get their initial or renewal driver’s license or state identification card. Each person has the option of opting out of voter registration. A big advantage to AVR is that more people are registered to vote. An even bigger advantage is that voters continue to have their information updated when they renew their license/state card. This allows more people to be certain of where they vote and it also curbs purging attempts from claims of “fake and false voters.” Mail in ballots would make voting easier. Transportation issues, identifying poll workers, and vote rigging would be reduced through mail-in ballots. However, I think our biggest concern is voter suppression. Geoff Sebesta: I support early voting unreservedly. I think that the security problems presented by mail-in ballots are so similar to the security problems presented by internet voting that we might as well go all the way to internet voting, but I will bow to the will of my constituency on this issue. I am unreservedly in favor of extending hours at voting locations, offering ballots in whatever language anybody wants, assisting individual counties in instituting systems with paper ballots and optical scanning, protecting our voting records and allowing easy recounts with blockchain technology, instituting an advisory microvoting system, opening permanent voting centers in city centers (budget and political will permitting), improving the ballot access of write-in candidates, allowing same-day party registration for closed primaries, starting a state-wide conversation about ranked choice voting and other voting methods beyond first-past-the-post, and offering the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky at least three new types of “I Voted” stickers.

If you become Secretary of State, what will you do to increase voter registration and turnout?

Jason S. Belcher: I would work to increase the number of options available to Kentucky voters to exercise their right to vote. I would work to bring about automatic voter registration and same day registration, which research has shown increases voter participation by giving voters more flexibility. I would engage our citizens with the E-Commonwealth platform both to get their input on potential solutions and problem solving and to increase their enthusiasm for the overall process. As a businessman I understand good customer service

increases not only customer satisfaction but the likelihood of repeat business; by the same token increasing the level of involvement by citizens on the ECommonwealth platform will make it more effective and widely embraced. Heather French Henry: To increase voter registration, it’s important for the Secretary of State’s office to perform voter registration drives at high schools answers continued on next page

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KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 19

secretary of state – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Increase voter registration and turnout … and colleges across the state. It is important for the office to have a presence at citizenship ceremonies. I support the automatic restoration of voting rights to felons (further explanation in the answer to question 5). I support expanding early voting, making it easier to vote by mail, extending hours at polling locations, and offering ballots in multiple languages to increase turnout. Jason Griffith: Automatic voter registration and same-day registration would increase registration and improve voter turnout. The average 18 year old registered voter will move multiple times by the age of 30. As a result, many young adults don’t vote because they no longer live in the precinct where they registered. What’s worse? Many young adults don’t find out they can’t vote until they go to the polling place, only to be told by a poll worker they aren’t on the list. With automatic voter registration, the polling place and eligibility is validated when he/she renews his/her license or state id. The polling place moves with the voter. This helps improve the voter turnout of 18-30 year olds, the group with the lowest historical turnout.

QUESTION:

I would also support the option of voters to opt in to email and/or text message updates from the Secretary of State’s office. If a voter opts in, he/she will receive an email like “Tomorrow is the General Election. Polls are open from 6am to 9pm and your polling place is at (insert address). Please remember to bring your driver’s license or state card.” Geoff Sebesta: The Secretary of State can only increase registration, not turnout. As a candidate for the office I will increase turnout by running a campaign that captures the imagination of the electorate, strengthens the Democratic field, and offers real benefits to the citizenry. As Secretary I will cease campaigning and partisan activity completely, and I will use that office to do everything in my power to expand voter registration in as many ways as possible, focusing first on the restoration of voting rights to felons. I am open to everything from lowering the voting age to mobile voting vans that drive up to people on the sidewalk, but the re-enfranchisement of felons comes first.

Do you support a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to the tens of thousands of Kentuckians with felonies in their past who have completed their sentence? Please explain.

Jason S. Belcher: I do not support restoring voting rights to violent felons who have committed crimes such as murder, rape, or deadly assault. I am open to the idea of restoring rights for individuals who were convicted of non-violent, non-drug related offenses and have satisfactorily completed their sentences. Heather French Henry: I support the idea of automatically restoring voting rights to felons upon completion of their sentences except for those convicted of murder, a sex crime, or bribery in an election.

Jason Griffith: Absolutely. This is a top priority of mine. I strongly believe each person should have a chance at redemption. Kentucky is one of only two states that does not automatically restore rights of former felons. This suppression is immoral and wrong. I believe those convicted of non-violent crimes and who have paid their debt to society should have their right to vote automatically restored.

Geoff Sebesta: Absolutely. This can’t go far enough. Voting is nothing more than a traditional form of an opinion poll. Rather than calling a land line sixty times in a day, in the olden days everybody had to walk to one spot to write their vote down. That’s all it is. A vote is an opinion, and everybody has the inalienable right to an opinion. Voting does not only make decisions. It In the days leading up to the election, we will legitimates the decisions and helps the people who call KFTC members, neighbors and friends to did not get their way to reconcile themselves to the will of the group. Voting makes people feel encourage people to vote in the May 21 Primary included, valued, and invested. There is nothing wrong with offering that to anyone. Everybody Election and arrange rides to the polls, has the right to a point of view. if needed. Please let us know if you are willing to The direct benefits of this are obvious. The American prison-industrial complex and the farcivolunteer by making phone calls to voters or giving cal “War on Drugs” would probably never have rides to the polls on election day. Contact the gotten so bad or hurt so many if the people most affected by it had been able to vote and tell the KFTC main office (606-878-2161 or info@kftc.org), rest of America what was happening to them.

VOLUNTEER WITH KFTC TO BOOST VOTER TURNOUT!

or any KFTC office to get involved. Thank you!

20 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

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Secretary of State – Republican Primary Michael G. Adams www.michaelgadams.com www.facebook.com/ MichaelGAdamsNews twitter.com/ Adams4SecState

Four candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination for secretary of state. The winner will face the Democratic nominee in the November 5 General Election. Michael Adams responded to the survey. His answers follow. Voters registered as Republicans may vote for one of the four.

Andrew English

Stephen Nipper

Carl Nett

Did not respond

What is your vision for strengthening civic participation in Kentucky? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected? Michael G. Adams: I’m running to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat, and to restore Kentuckian’s faith in our Secretary of State’s office and our election processes. I’ll bring my election expertise from having engaged in elections in all 50 states. Four years from now the SOS office will be out of the headlines again, quietly doing its job to cleanly facilitate our elections. Andrew English, Stephen Knipper, Carl Nett – no answers --------------------

How does your background qualify you for serving in this office? Please provide examples of your advocacy to protect and promote civic engagement in Kentucky. Michael G. Adams: I’m the only SOS candidate of either party who actually has election experience (other than as a candidate). I have a prestigious, national election law practice, and relevant credentials no other candidate can match. I’ve actively promoted civic engagement via helping candidates get their messages to voters since 1992. Andrew English, Stephen Knipper, Carl Nett – no answers --------------------

What is your view on modernizing state election laws? Specifically, do you support allowing early voting, mail-in ballots, extended hours at polling locations, offering ballots in multiple languages and other election reforms? Please explain. Michael G. Adams: • Reduce wait times for early voting by amending KRS 117.085(1)(c) to clarify that a county clerk may place early-voting machines in any

of the clerk’s office locations.

• Make voting by mail easier by amending KRS 117.085(1)(a)(7) to

permit the choice of absentee voting in person or by mail.

• Allow change of party registration to be available to residents until

the voter registration deadline (rather than requiring party affiliation changes be made the year before the election) by amending KRS 116.055. • Support Senate Bill 134 to extend voting hours from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. local time to give more working people a chance to get to the polls. Andrew English, Stephen Knipper, Carl Nett – no answers -------------------If you become Secretary of State, what will you do to increase voter registration and turnout? Michael G. Adams: As someone who literally has dedicated my career to the election process, I’ll be a tireless advocate for voter participation, improved civic knowledge, and mutual understanding between people of different beliefs. Andrew English, Stephen Knipper, Carl Nett – no answers -------------------Do you support a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to the tens of thousands of Kentuckians with felonies in their past who have completed their sentence? Please explain. Michael G. Adams: The Secretary of State, unlike a legislator, has no role in legislation to place a measure on the ballot to amend the constitution. However, in my capacity as a voter, I would not support a constitutional amendment that automatically restores voting rights to any person convicted of felony election fraud. Andrew English, Stephen Knipper, Carl Nett – no answers

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 21

Auditor of Public Accounts – Democratic Primary Three candidates are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for auditor of public accounts. In the November 5 General Election, the winner will face Republican incumbent Mike Harmon who is unopposed for the Republican nomination. Thanks to the candidates for responding to the survey.

The primary duty of the auditor of public accounts, or state auditor, is to audit all accounts and financial transactions of all agencies that receive public funding, including state government agencies, fiscal courts, sheriffs, county clerks, circuit clerks, property valuation administrators, and other agencies that receive public funding. The auditor’s office considers requests for audits from public officials, the general public, the legislative research commission, and the governor’s office.

Drew Curtis N W A DR

WIT Kelsey Hayes Coots

Sheri Donahue

Chris Tobe

www.kelseyforkentucky.com

www.donahueforky.com

www.christobe.com

www.facebook.com/ kelseyforkentucky

www.facebook.com/ Sheri4KY

www.facebook.com/ chris.tobe.5

twitter.com/ KelseyforKY

twitter.com/ sheridonah

twitter.com/tobecb

QUESTION:

Drew Curtis withdrew from this race in early April. Ballots had already been printed, so his name will still appear on the ballot. Votes for him will not be counted.

What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Auditor? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

Kelsey Hayes Coots: My vision for the role of the Kentucky Auditor is really two-fold. First, I want to return the Auditor’s office to being the proactive, effective watchdog for Kentuckians’ taxpayer dollars that it is meant to be. Former Auditor Crit Luallen is the standard bearer. While the office can provide additional oversight on public pensions - and should do that- the scope of the office is much larger. We need to ensure that tax dollars throughout state and local government are being used in an appropriate, effective and legal way. The office can increase or diminish the trust Kentuckians have

in government, at the local and state level. Government can play a stronger role in our progress when there is more trust. On important policy topics like public education and healthcare, we should consider using Special Examinations in those areas to root out corruption and inefficiency and ensure those critical dollars are having maximum impact. Second, I want to democratize the Auditor’s office to make it more transparent, accessible and accountable to Kentucky’s taxpayers. Any answers continued on next page

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Auditor of Public Accounts – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: How will our commonwealth be better … Kentuckian should be able to access a user-friendly website, find and understand the Auditor’s reports and should be able to get updates regarding the public offices … answer exceeds word limit Sheri Donahue: All you have to do is look around. Regardless of ideology or party affiliation, people are losing faith in government. The cornerstone of any democracy is the people having faith in it. Faith that their government cares about them, faith that government is effective at providing for their needs, and faith that their voices and votes are being heard and counted. I have stood up to billion dollar defense contractors and Defense Department bureaucrats and won! Kentucky Bureaucrats and Matt Bevin do not scare me! As the auditor, my main goal will be to restore people’s faith in government. Together I know we can. Chris Tobe: I want to Change the culture of Cover Up and Corruption in Frankfort to protect your tax dollars and expose wrong doing... rooting out

QUESTION:

corruption & holding those responsible accountable. The Auditor shouldn’t be another politician or a political wannabe. “A Pension is a Promise” That is what I screamed at the capitol steps When Governor Bevin & his supporters tried to illegally slash teachers’ pensions & those of our police officers and other public employees, I opposed them. You can see and hear me screaming on the PBS Frontline Special. “A Pension is a Promise” Taxpayers deserve a clean pension without corruption Gov. Bevin wants to take pensions from teachers and public employees and enrich his hedge fund cronies who now steal over $200 million a year. I will stop the Wall Street theft, I won’t quit until every pension fund is transparent and the billions of dollars invested by Kentucky’s taxpayers & public employees are being managed properly and professionally. We need a professional auditor who will hold corrupt bureaucrats & career politicians accountable - without fear or favor. My vision is to restore integrity, transparency & accountability to every level of state government.

Please highlight previous experience that qualifies you for serving in this office.

Kelsey Hayes Coots: As a result of my upbringing, I’ve lead throughout my life - as a student, athlete, at the University of Kentucky and in the school in which I work. Right now, I lead my team, and department and serve on the Site Based Decision Making council at school. Last year I was fortunate enough to be selected by my peers at Teacher of the Year. I’ve lead KY120United/120 Strong in direct action to help stop attacks on public education as the Zone 3 (Louisville) leader. I have the most experience leading teams, and will bring that experience and my passion for service and good government to the office. I’m most equipped to bring a vision for an effective office to reality, and I look forward to the challenge. Sheri Donahue: I worked for the Navy as an engineer for 20 years auditing and managing multi-million dollar weapons systems and intelligence contracts. My job was to ensure that taxpayers got their money’s worth and that our men and women in uniform had safe and effective equipment to defend our nation. I went on to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cybersecurity and infrastructure protection. I developed the critical process that the FBI uses to coordinate domestic security information.

Chris Tobe: I worked for former Kentucky State Auditor Ed Hatchett on his executive staff overseeing all areas of the office for 2 ½ years and have over 25 years of financial experience. In the late 90’s I wrote reports on pensions, university foundations, state cash investments for the Auditors office. I’ll be the first Auditor with master’s degrees in both Accounting & Finance (from Indiana U. Bloomington) ... the most experienced Auditor in Kentucky’s history. As a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), I’ve dedicated my professional career to advising large states across the country on their pension investments & best practices. I was hired by the Utah Legislative Auditor and the Maryland Retirements System internal auditor to review complex investments in pensions. I have taught finance & accounting classes at U. of Louisville, Bellarmine, & Webster. As a 4-year public pension trustee for KRS, I completed the Program for Advanced Trustee Studies at Harvard Law School and Fiduciary College held at the Stanford University There is no one better prepared to be your next Auditor of Kentucky. That’s all I want to do. I have absolutely no future political ambitions. Zero. None.

If you consider this Voter Guide a valuable resource, please consider a donation to support KFTC’s yearround Voter Empowerment work.

Online at: kftc.org/support Mail to: KFTC PO Box 1450 London, KY 40743-1450 Thanks!

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 23

Auditor of Public Accounts – democrats QUESTION:

What steps have you taken or would you take to fight political corruption in Kentucky?

Kelsey Hayes Coots: As I mentioned, I have been an organizer for the Zone 3 (Louisville) group of KY120United. Throughout my time as the Zone 3 lead, my eyes have been opened (even more) to how bad government and misguided leaders can harm people’s lives and livelihoods. Over the past year, I have stood shoulder to shoulder with teachers and public employees as we have demanded that our elections serve the people, not charter school lobbyists or monied interests. In the Auditor’s office, I plan to expand the SAFE house program - a program that allows citizens to anonymously report corruption, waste, fraud and abuse in state and local government. We need to increase the awareness of this program so we can root out bad actors and make examples of them. Also, by making the auditor’s reports more accessible and easier to understand, Ill equip our citizens to help us fight corruption and shine more light into our public offices. Sheri Donahue: I have never held political office, but while working for the U.S. Navy, my job was to ensure that taxpayers got their money’s worth and that our men and women in uniform had safe and effective equipment to defend our nation. I was fearless in defense of our fighting men and women. I regularly had to stand up to billion dollar defense contractors and other entrenched forces in the military industrial complex.

QUESTION:

As Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts, I will seek out waste, fraud, and abuse wherever it is and whoever is responsible for it. Chris Tobe: I have been fighting corruption in Kentucky for the past 20+ years helping Jim Wayne write most of the pension corruption legislation. Kentucky has been ranked #1 in State Government Corruption by both Harvard & Illinois studies. My number #1 goal is to stop corruption in Frankfort and my #1 target is our troubled and corrupt Pension System. Other targets are Department of Fish & Wildlife, Yum Center and the Governor’s corrupt practices with Brady Industries. As the Kentucky Retirement System Board member who discovered & publicly exposed the graft & corruption in our pension system, I know where the proverbial bodies are buried. I even wrote a book about it called Kentucky Fried Pensions. I became a SEC whistleblower as KRS board member. I had the FBI watching Tim Longmeyer for pension corruption when they caught him for health care corruption, and he is currently in federal prison I helped write with Jim Wayne pension corruption legislation in 2018 making it Class D felony to invest in illegal hedge funds and private equity funds which was refiled as HB 126 in KYGA19.

What steps have you taken or would you take to ensure open, fair and transparent operations of state and local government, schools, and other public institutions?

Kelsey Hayes Coots: Kentuckians deserve a government we can trust. A • Implement a text/email alert program for Kentuckians to be able to trusted government is an effective government, more capable of playing a key receive audits related to their county, and any other areas of interest, role in our progress. As an experienced leader, I will make the Auditor’s office as soon as they are released into a place that delivers transparency and effectiveness. • Modernize the Auditor’s website to ensure that it is accessible and I will be an independent watchdog for Kentuckians, focusing on governnavigable for all ment transparency, efficiency and accountability. I have a clear vision for the • Create simple … answer exceeds word limit Auditor’s office and a track record of being an exemplary leader. I will drive answers continued on next page the Auditor’s team and bring this vision into reality, and restore trust and faith in government. From my platform: To make sure you are registered to vote, to learn what precinct • Increasing Transparency you live in, and to learn where your voting location is, visit the • Sunlight in government is often called Voter Information Center of the Kentucky State Board of Elections: “the great disinfectant” and we know that transparency builds trust. Kentuckians deserve to know where their tax dollars are being spent. • To increase transparency in the Auditor’s To view a sample ballot for the county where you live, visit office, and in state and local government, I will: • Publish expenses of the Auditor’s office online

www.GoVoteKY.com

http://apps.sos.ky.gov/electionballots

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Auditor of Public Accounts – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Fair, open and transparent operations … Sheri Donahue: I see the Auditors office a way to restore people’s faith in government. I am uniquely qualified to be Auditor and to help start rebuilding that lost faith in our country and our state. When you are voting, registering a car or paying taxes, you should be confident that your information is safe and secure, and be confident that your tax dollars are being used effectively and not being wasted or misappropriated. We will expand and modernize the state Information Security Audit; we will audit electronic voting machines to ensure that no one is tampering with our elections, and hire an experienced white collar crime law enforcement professional to assist in special audits to ensure that we find all waste, fraud, and abuse wherever it occurs. Chris Tobe: I have been the main proponent in KY for past 20 years of transparency in pensions, but also university foundations & others. In June 2018 I started the KY chapter of Represent US a national transparency group.

I have been a global leader in Transparency and serve on the London based Transparency Taskforce and published 3 articles in “Transparency Times” I have published 4 books and dozens of articles on transparency in investments including. Kentucky Fried Pensions which was cited by Pulitzer winner Gretchen Morgenson of the NY Times and Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone. I have been quoted and work regularly on public pension corruption stories with Neil Weinberg of Bloomberg, David Sirota of YoungTurks & the Guardian, Travis Waldren of the Huffington Post, and Pulitzer winner Gary Rivlin formerly of NY Times now with the Intercept. In KY I been quoted and worked on dozens of articles on pension transparency by John Cheves HL, Joe Sonka Insider Louiville, Jim McNair KCIR. I appeared in PBS Frontline piece on KY pensions discussing transparency. It will take the most qualified Auditor in KY history to clean up and bring transparency to the most corrupt state government in America!

Working for a healthy democracy – and participation by all Democracy works best when all Kentuckians can participate in decisions affecting our lives – and that includes having the fundamental right to vote. A healthy democracy is essential for ensuring justice and a good quality of life for all people. Kentucky’s election laws and systems should be designed with the goal of protecting each individual’s access to the ballot box and increasing overall voter registration and participation. Kentucky’s outdated constitution takes away a person’s right to vote forever if he or she is convicted of a felony. As a result, an estimated 312,000 Kentuckians, most of whom have completed their sentences, are barred from participation in our democracy unless they can take the extraordinary step of getting a pardon from the governor. Only two other states make it so difficult to get one’s voting rights

back. We believe that after people have served their time, they should be given back their right to vote – because that’s the right thing to do and because it makes Kentucky’s democracy stronger. And it’s only fair that people who work, raise families, do business, pay taxes and contribute in other important ways be allowed a voice in our government. A change is needed in Section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution to correct this problem. KFTC and many allies across the state are working to allow Kentuckians to vote on whether to change our constitution to correct this injustice. For more than a dozen years members of the Kentucky Senate have blocked this vote. Learn more at: kftc.org/VotingRights

April 2019

KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 25

Auditor of Public Accounts – Republican Nominee Mike Harmon www.mikeharmon.com www.facebook.com/ Mike-Harmon-for-Auditor -701210236668283/ twitter.com/ harmon4auditor

Republican incumbent State Auditor Mike Harmon has no opposition in the May primary. He will face the Democratic nominee in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to Mike Harmon for responding to the survey. This race will not appear on the Primary Election ballot

What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Auditor? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

What steps have you taken or would you take to fight political corruption in Kentucky?

Mike Harmon: First, let me say, when I first started as Auditor, I told all our team that I didn’t want to hear that we had targeted anyone or given anyone a pass. I simply wanted them to follow the data. If given the opportunity to serve another four years I believe we will continue to build on our work. We did the first ever external audit of the Administrative Office of the Courts, we examined KYWired, KLEFPF, Louisville Foundation, Louisville Arena Authority, and more.

Mike Harmon: While in the role of Auditor, we did the first ever external exam of AOC where we had 20 findings including the fact that they leased property for a Justice from a company owned by the Justice’s sons and at 3 times the amount of the next closest bid. We did a Financial Statement Audit of the Louisville Arena Authority with expanded comments and showed that 75% of it’s revenue came from tax payers. These are just a few of the around 600 audits a year that our office completes.

--------------------

Please highlight previous experience that qualifies you for serving in this office. Mike Harmon: Prior to being elected Auditor in 2015, I served 13 years in the KY General Assembly. Since 2015, I have served as KY Auditor of Public Accounts and hope to continue in that role after this election. --------------------

What steps have you taken or would you take to ensure open, fair and transparent operations of state and local government, schools, and other public institutions? Mike Harmon: We called on AOC to have annual Financial Statement Audits and pointed out that even though they adopted open records policy they did so in a closed meeting. We pointed out in KYWired that the final Project agreement went dramatically outside the original RFP and response and flipped the script and risk for the state and taxpayers from the original 30 million to 1.5 Billion as one Governor was heading out the door. We have continually promoted any tips of waste, fraud, and abuse should be directed to our tips line at auditor.ky.gov or 1-800-KY-Alert.

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Commissioner of Agriculture – Democratic Primary Two candidates are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for the commissioner of agriculture. The winner will face the Republican primary winner in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to the candidates for responding to the survey.

QUESTION:

Robert Haley Conway www.conwayforky19.com www.facebook.com/Conway2019

Joe Trigg www.joetriggcandidate.com www.facebook.com/IDigTrigg twitter.com/JoeTrigg4KY

The commissioner of agriculture is the head of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture which helps direct activities and provides information for and about farming in Kentucky, one of the state’s largest industries. The commissioner is responsible for helping expand agricultural markets, encourage rural economic development and promote Kentucky agricultural products.

What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

Robert Haley Conway: Office to become more accessible. Depoliticize the nature of the office. Understand that the needs of the 21st century demand that change is required. Step outside the box. Make family farms profitable again. Since the average farm size is between 100-200 acres in Kentucky, it becomes necessary to maximize the acreage available and become more efficient. We need to look at agriculture in this state in a new way. We need to understand that our natural resources and landforms should dictate the type of agriculture we undertake. We no longer have the safety net that was provided by tobacco. We need to become more diverse, look at alternative ag practices, and embrace change (i.e. nurseries, orchards, hemp to some degree, tree farms, aquiculture). Joe Trigg: a. My vision is to move KY into the forefront of agribusiness in the US. Who better than us, strategically located in the center of the US; the Ohio river a bulk product transportation dream, crisscrossed by major interstates I65,75,64, and 66 and an established railway system. Do you know what country is the second largest agriculture exporter in the world? 1/3 the size of KY, the Netherlands comes in at #2, with an average farm size of 42 acres. Each diversified farm makes a reasonable profit every year and the best part is their kids want to remain in the family agribusiness. That same diversified farm base is my vision for KY where we look at look at farming not just as agriculture but as agribusiness. b. Over the next four years I will lobby for the legalization of both medical marijuana/hemp and implementation of a modified quota system similar to the old tobacco quota program. I hope to use these two agricultural products to propel diversification helping to make agribusiness both profitable and sustainable.

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KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 27

Commissioner of Agriculture – democrats QUESTION:

How does your background qualify you for serving in this office? Please provide examples.

Robert Haley Conway: 8th generation Kentucky farmer. We have an Angus cow-calf operation and have had since the tobacco buy-out. Current farm operation consists of my son and myself. We currently have over 70 head which is max for the acreage available. I am a retired executive for GE Capital, controlling a 300 employee and 30 million dollar budget. Was board member and board chair for Scot County Schools, with roughly 1800 employees and a budget of $62 million per year. The second largest employer in Scott County, second to Toyota’s North American Auto Plant. I have been involved in agriculture my adult life, and currently am a sitting member of the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation Board. Also belong to KY Farm Bureau, former Director of the KY Motor Transportation Association of Kentucky, Beef Cattle Assoc., and Scott County Beef Cattle Association. Joe Trigg: I grew up raising tobacco, milking cows and raising produce gardens to provide food for our family. I entered the USAF and got to see farming operations around the world. This exposure led to the purchase of

QUESTION:

our own farm and the formation of Trigg Enterprise, Inc. Beef - We have a 50+ cow/calf commercial beef operation and an alfalfa & mixed grass hay operation. Produce Field/Greenhouse – We have one greenhouse with hydroponic green leaf crops and hybrid bag culture produce operation. We had another greenhouse with an advance tilapia research project aquaculture as part of KSU and the “Farm to School” program. Kentucky Proud - Early member of the Kentucky Proud program and helped in the initial development of Homegrown by Heroes. I was instrumental in the establishment of Sustainable Glasgow “Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market” where Trigg Enterprise has been a vendor since inception. War of food deserts – I founded Farm to City Connection, Inc (F2CC) an attempt to link multiple farmers with city vendors in an effort provide fresh produce to urban deserts. Hemp - Trigg Enterprise just recently applied for and received a Hemp production license and will plant our first crop later this year.

If elected, how would you use this office to advance equity among farmers and farmworkers in Kentucky? How would you increase the numbers of farms owned by Black farmers after decades of racially biased refusal of farm loans? How would you protect the rights of migrant workers, such as those coming to Kentucky with H2A visas, and ensure that farmers are honoring the contracts they sign with these workers?

Robert Haley Conway: The same as getting young people involved in farming. We need to bring the lenders and borrowers together and create a program where people have access and accessibility to the info and funds. There are programs already available, but due to the lack of info, don’t know where to go or how to access those monies currently designated for minority or youth programs. There needs to be more oversight by state government to ensure those funds are used and dispensed in a proper fashion. The same applies to H2A visas. We, in KY, are dependent on migrant workers and farmers should embrace and appreciate the opportunity to bring those workers to Kentucky. There should be an office in the Commissioner’s staff that should deal solely with infringement of rights in the Ag sector. Joe Trigg: At one point in time every farmer had a tobacco quota allotment which laid the groundwork for equity. The hemp/medical marijuana allot-

Hey, You Misspelled That!

ment system I’m proposing could help return equity among farmers. There is no color in the dollars the quota program I’m promoting would allow all farmers access to loans. Even though there has been a drastic reduction in the number of black farmers there still exist a significant number of black farm property owners who need something to help them keep their land and make it productive again. If we are honest with ourselves, we know that most of the migrant workers are not a part of H2A program ($12 per hr) but the other program ($5-10 per hr) and it’s all about money. As in the past we don’t like to look at them as humans but instead want to apply a $ sign to them as individuals. Fortunately, as with slavery, an ever growing number of farmers have become attached to their workers and treating them better but there are still a large number who only see $$. We need to figure out whose job it is to enforce the program and then hold them responsible.

We print responses from candidates exactly as we receive them. If there’s bad grammar or misspelled words, it’s because that’s how the candidate submitted it.

28 | KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races

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Commissioner of Agriculture – democrats QUESTION:

Many farmers in southwestern Kentucky installed sizable solar energy systems, thanks in part to programs offered by the Tennessee Valley Authority. What will you do as Commissioner of Agriculture to enable more small farms across the Commonwealth to generate and benefit from renewable energy?

Robert Haley Conway: Absolutely strong supporter of solar energy systems. Make more money and effort available to promote this agenda. It only makes sense. Joe Trigg: a. My military travels exposed me to various farming operations around the world with the more advance ones utilizing multiple renewable energy programs. Kentucky farms can be the shining

QUESTION:

Given that many Kentuckians face challenges in accessing fresh foods, a number of programs exist in Kentucky to support food access for low-income communities, like Kentucky Double Dollars and the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. As Commission of Agriculture, how would you support these and similar programs to help Kentucky’s small farms provide healthy and affordable products to more Kentuckians? What role will you play in addressing the many food deserts across Kentucky?

Robert Haley Conway: No Kentuckian should go hungry. As a 12 year member of a school district located in what many perceive to be Kentucky’s wealthiest county, we still had a rate of over 40% of school age children on free and reduced lunch. Poverty still persists and is very evident throughout the state. We need to do whatever it takes to correct this unacceptable problem. First thing would be to get out of the office and see what it takes to make positive change occur. Give incentives to small local farms to grow produce by directing them to markets for their products. While we here in Kentucky have had some success with the “Kentucky Proud” program, it really hasn’t filtered down to your average small Kentucky producer. Joe Trigg: I grew up in a low-income family that benefited from similar commodity programs and we always had a small garden to provide fresh produce. As a vender in the Sustainable Glasgow award winning “Bounty

QUESTION:

example of sustainable energy for farmers between; wind, solar, methane gas and other renewable energy sources with the continued support of TVA and a little out of the box thinking. b. Imagine the load off the grid, if every farm had one windmill, all major rooftops covered with solar, tied into hybrid energy efficiency high tunnel/greenhouses (medical marijuana production). I plan to engage the major players in power generation in expansion of renewable energy related to a small farmer’s grid.

of the Barrens Farmers Market”, I have directly seen how all of the new programs you mentioned have had an effect on both sides of the table, healthy products to buyers and additional income to vendors. I would continue to support these programs. First let’s recognize that just about every farm has a small garden which in most cases produces more than that family can eat and in a lot of cases goes to waste. Secondly, this and future generations are less likely to utilize fresh produce due to the direction our society has taken on convenience. I once attempted to address the food deserts issue with a company called F2CC Inc to provide fresh produce to urban deserts. I worked with U of L, KSU, United Way and other entities for several years in this effort. The diversified agribusiness flowchart I would like to implement would have what was missing in earlier attempts, high level state support.

The legalization of industrial hemp offers new opportunities to Kentucky family farmers. What other opportunities will you seek out to make farming more sustainable and how will you advance these opportunities equitably and sustainably? Do you support the legalization of medical marijuana as one such opportunity for small farms?

Robert Haley Conway: Just returned from an Ag conference in Denver, CO. Alternative Ag programs were being touted, such as nurseries, wind, solar, tree farms (i.e. Christmas and nursery stock), hemp. While the future looks promising with hemp, whether it be for medicinal, recreational, fiber or seed, based on what has happened since Congress passed the Farm Bill, legalizing industrial use of hemp, I am somewhat concerned. Big Tobacco has moved into the industry the last 90 days positioning themselves to be a

player which concerns me about the impact on small producers. We could be looking at Tobacco Program II if they have their way. I absolutely support the legalization of medical marijuana for small farms. Joe Trigg: a. I wrote an opinion ad that was published across the state called answers continued on next page

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KENTUCKY Primary ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – statewide races | 29

Commissioner of Agriculture – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: Hemp and medical marijuana … b. “Hemp and Medical Marijuana, A Kentucky Farmers Lifeline” which is the basis for the platform I am running on. In that article I talk about what both hemp and medical marijuana can do for this state and some avenues that would provide both equitably and sustainability. c. I would implement a quota system similar to the old tobacco quota program. We don’t want to be like some states where production

QUESTION:

and therefore use has gotten out of control. The dollars generated by the controlled diversification of both of these items just like tobacco was, would be the lifeline that saves not only KY farmers but small communities and cities across the state as well. d. Yes, I 100% support the legalization of medical marijuana. The two crops could be the cornerstones for the expansion or formation of other agribusinesses which could propel us into the future.

As Commissioner of Agriculture, how will you support small farmers impacted by structural changes in Kentucky’s agriculture and energy economies?

Robert Haley Conway: This is why I’m running. Support for small farms and trying to attract young people into agriculture. Joe Trigg: Diversification is the key to equity, profitability and sustainability moving forward. At one point tobacco production and the income it generated was that key. An established quota system for hemp/medical marijuana

has the potential to be that lifeline and a foundation pillar for saving our farms by the income they could provide. I would also like another look at the disbursement of Kentucky’s Tobacco Settlement Money (+$120 M) to see where it can be further used to address the structural changes in farm economies.

Commissioner of Agriculture – Republican Primary Two candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination for the commissioner of agriculture. The winner will face the Democratic primary winner in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to the candidates for responding to the survey.

Bill Polyniak

Ryan F. Quarles

www.billforkentucky.com

www.ryanquarles.com

www.facebook.com/ kentuckyagcommissioner

www.facebook.com/ KYRyanQuarles/ twitter.com/RyanQuarlesKY

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Commissioner of Agriculture – Republicans QUESTION:

What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

Bill Polyniak: My vision for the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture should be that of promoting all aspects of agriculture while increasing the overall agriculture receipts in the Commonwealth. Ryan F. Quarles: As Commissioner, we will continue to promote Kentucky agriculture, expand markets for our family farms, grow KY Proud, support our farmers’ markets, continue our growth of industrial hemp, grow ag related jobs & economic development, support conservation efforts, encourage our young people to choose ag as a career, protect against consumer fraud at our gas stations, support ag education & safety programs, expand international trade opportunities and continue to fight hunger across the Common-

QUESTION:

How does your background qualify you for serving in this office? Please provide examples.

Bill Polyniak: My whole life has been spent close to agriculture. From growing up in a agriculture based community, my business experience and leadership shown with the renewal of the hemp industry proves I am the best candidate to increase opportunities for Kentuckians. Instead of running from the farm, I have been running to the farm. Ryan F. Quarles: Growing up as a 9th generation Kentucky farmer, I believe I am qualified to continue serving as Agriculture Commissioner because I not only have dirt on my boots, but I have spent my life working with

QUESTION:

wealth. As demonstrated during my first term, Kentucky is better off with increase job growth in the ag sector, $1.8 million was raised for 4-H & FFA, we own the best hemp program in America, and I believe we have provided effective leadership for our farming & agriculture communities. In four years, I hope our hemp program has matured with market success, our youth programs have flourished, our livestock safety protocols are maintained, and that everyday Kentuckians have access to local, nutritious KY Proud produce. Finally, the best accomplishment after four years would be whether the KY agriculture community that raised me from birth would be better off, more efficient, open to consumer demands, and that less Kentuckians go to be hungry.

the farm community I love. Spending 5 years on the House Agriculture Committee, my office has become effective at passing legislation with the KY General Assembly. I also have an agriculture educational background, having earned three ag degrees at the UK College of Agriculture, including a Masters in Ag Economics. But perhaps my strongest qualification is my upbringing on a Kentucky tobacco and cattle farm. The lessons I learned in 4-H, FFA, and my family farm prepared me for serving as Commissioner of Agriculture and I humbly ask for a second term to continue the progress we have made.

Bill Polyniak: The policies set forth at the department of Agriculture should be transparent and open for all. I will end the current pay to play polices that limit Kentucky while benefitting outside companies who have no long term stake in our Commonwealth. Ryan F. Quarles: Providing opportunity for all farmers, both new and old, and regardless of race, continues to be a priority. That’s why I’m proud to report that here in Kentucky, we have a low interest loan program designed just for Kentucky farmers. Under the Ag Finance Corporation, we dedicate over half of our loan portfolio to new and beginning farmers. These low interest loans and grants are dedicated to all Kentuckians, regardless of race.

I also work closely with the UK MANRRS Chapter to recruit potential students and connect them with the ag job market. Additionally, my office financially supports the annual Kentucky Small, Limited Resource, Minority Farmers conference. In reference to H2A, my office has long supported an immigration system that works which provides for an adequate guest worker program. We have worked with our farm community to ensure compliance with the H2A program in terms of housing, contract compliance, and arrangement of entry and departure logistics of those participating in the program. Though not asked in your question, I have been a strong supporter of KY Women in Agriculture and recently received an award highlighting our commitment to their organization.

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Commissioner of Agriculture – Republicans QUESTION:

Bill Polyniak: I will support the farmers choice to explore free market technology to better make farming more sustainable. Ryan F. Quarles: I am proud that as Commissioner, I have systematically supported programs using Tobacco Settlement money that allows a cost-

QUESTION:

Bill Polyniak: We have some of the most successful hunger programs that need to still be supported. I believe creating opportunity for self-reliance will allow the current low-income programs to over time even be more helpful. As their funding is not stretched so thin trying to help so many. We must expand our agriculture base. Ryan F. Quarles: As Commissioner, we already support all of these programs and more in my quest to reduce hunger in Kentucky. Under my leadership, we started the Kentucky Hunger Initiative that has raised over $100,000 for our Food Banks, Glean Kentucky, and others. We passed a

QUESTION:

share for those farmers hoping to install solar panels on their farming operations. Each year, farmers continue to utilize this energy grant, often helping underwrite the costs of solar panels on barn roofs. This is a program that has shown success and we will continue to support it.

law to give Kentucky the strongest food donation laws in the nation. I have personally voted for hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to help fund Double Dollars. My office not only administers the Senior Farmers Market vouchers, but also takes pride in helping in the 2018 Farm Bill by advocating for rule changes which would allow more innovative approaches towards addressing food deserts. As a result of my efforts, Kentucky was chosen to host a national conference on food insecurity this year and in February, my annual Serving Up Solutions Dinner will raise over $50,000 for the antihunger community. Sadly, despite these efforts we still have a long way to go.

Bill Polyniak: Once we have a proper plan the hemp industry could be a big boom for Kentucky farmers. The current hemp plan sent to the USDA limits as well as punishes Kentucky farmers. I support medical marijuana, grown by Kentucky farmers not outside corporations. I do not believe that as a medical product it should be taxed. That only punishes the weak. We still have other industries that have been crushed by not the lack of market but over regulations on the farm. I will create a program and stand firm, like I have for hemp ,that will allow Kentucky farmers to distribute in state tested artisan based dairy products like mike and cheese. These value added products have a huge market demand and offer many a new opportunity to enter into agriculture like cannabis does. We must be bold and not fall into traps of the past that limit access to natural products that benefit people. We can use technology to help expand these markets, helping farmers and increasing income from new markets.

Ryan F. Quarles: When I was a legislator, I was an early supporter of industrial hemp and sponsored legislation as early as 2012, and also the subsequent SB50 framework. As Commissioner, my office has built Kentucky into an epicenter for hemp cultivation and processing. I am proud that hundreds of jobs exist today that did not exist when I took office due to our leadership on hemp. Today, my office approved over 1000+ farmers and 110+ hemp companies for 2019. I was proud to have aided with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized the crop and currently, I chair the hemp working group at the national level. I am currently aiding USDA with developing the national framework. Hemp gives Kentucky the chance to be 1st in something instead of last. We are also looking at kenaf as a biomass, have 16 commercial hops growers in KY, and are putting more KY corn into KY bourbon than ever before. Additionally, we support conservation efforts and work closely with NRCS to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices. As for medical marijuana, we are focused on taking hemp as far as we possibly can in 2019 because our hemp farmers asked me to … answer exceeds word limit

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Commissioner of Agriculture – Republicans QUESTION:

As Commissioner of Agriculture, how will you support small farmers impacted by structural changes in Kentucky’s agriculture and energy economies?

Bill Polyniak: I will stand firm against abusive polices. Local as well as federal. I will work hard to promote opportunities that feed market demand for farmers and not outside interests. Ryan F. Quarles: Kentucky agriculture is all about the small farmer. Of our 76,000 farms, 95% of them are owned and operated by Kentucky farm families. Growing up on a small family farm, I know first hand the needs of small farmers. As Commissioner, we will continue to protect 50% of Tobacco Settlement monies for the purpose of diversifying KY agriculture. As Commissioner, I vote and support our Ag Development Fund, KY Ag Finance new & beginning farmer loan program, and FSA loan programs. I

have also put emphasis on our growing Farmers’ Market community, growing organic farm program, and have advocated for policies that are inclusive of all farm sizes. All of these programs support small farmers. Additionally, we intentionally draft all farm legislation so that it benefits small farmers too, as evidence with the new grain indemnity fund. Also, the hemp program is designed to support small farmers from any part of the state as well. With nearly 8000 members, Kentucky Proud continues to be a strong marketing tool for small farmers to utilize across our Commonwealth. In conclusion, I understand the needs of small farmers because I grew up as one. As Commissioner, I am proud of my record and … answer exceeds word limit

State Treasurer – Democratic Primary Two candidates are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for state treasurer. In the November 5 General Election, the winner will face Republican incumbent Allison Ball who is unopposed for the Republican nomination. Thanks to the candidates for responding to the survey.

The state treasurer is the chief fiscal officer for the state. They are responsible for recording and monitoring all of the state’s financial activities to ensure that the government is acting in the best interest of taxpayers.

QUESTION:

What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Treasurer? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected?

Michael Bowman

Josh Mers

www.bowmanforkentucky.com

www.joshmers.com

www.facebook.com/ michaelbowmanky

www.facebook.com/ JoshMers4KY

twitter.com/ michaelbowman

twitter.com/ joshmers4ky

Michael Bowman: I envision the Treasurer’s office taking a stand for accountability within state government. The role of the Treasurer is to provide a stop-gap to prevent abuse of tax dollars by an otherwise unchecked chief executive and I will hold all the stakeholders, regardless of party, accountable. My experience in both banking and local government gives me a unique perspective on how best to handle our states investments and ensure the best outcomes. As an ex-officio member of many boards and commissions, I will be a much stronger advocate for the interests of the people of the commonwealth than has been demonstrated by the incumbent and will help drive policies that build a stronger economy. Josh Mers: Kentucky’s Treasurer should be the chief ambassador for answers continued on next page

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state treasurer – democrats ANSWERS CONTINUED: How commonwealth will be better … modernizing our economy, updating our tax code, modernizing revenue streams and developing a sound 21st century investment strategy. Far too often our Commonwealth has failed to stress the importance of the Treasurer’s role. Managing the financial and investment strategy in a fair and independent capacity is vital for Kentucky. Equally vital is the role that the Treasurer holds as a watchdog and advocate for all Kentuckians. A strong independent Treasurer that will not act as a rubber stamp for the Governor is essential. Over the past 3 years, our Governor has been allowed to write checks

QUESTION:

Please highlight previous experience that you feel qualify you for serving in this office.

Michael Bowman: Officer and Branch Manager for U.S. Bank, Former Legislative Assistant to Louisville Metro Council, Executive Committee Member of the Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Party. Josh Mers: My life mirrors the regular experience of the vast majority of Kentuckians. I was raised in a working-class home in rural Kentucky and saw firsthand the struggles of a family doing the very best they can. I was fortunate enough to be gifted with a solid public education and through hard work, determination and the burden of student loans was able to attend the University of Kentucky. As the owner of a small insurance and financial services agency, I understand the daily struggle of doing business in Kentucky’s current economic climate.

QUESTION:

I’ve spent the better part of my life advocating for my local community which has prepared me for the role of being a strong, proactive Treasurer, committed to advocating for all Kentuckians. As the Treasurer of the Human Rights Commission for the past three years, I’ve had the fiduciary experience of monitoring a governmental agency’s use of the tax payer dollar. My life, professional and advocacy experience have more than prepared me to not only manage and improve the statutorily mandated duties of the Office of Treasurer, but also to be a statewide leader on economic issues such as poverty, food insecurity, revenue and tax reform.

`More than 250 tax expenditures are draining Kentucky’s General Fund. Kentucky loses more revenue from these expenditures than we generate for our state budget. As treasurer, what reforms would you support to enhance our state tax system?

Michael Bowman: I plan to work directly with the General Assembly to provide input and produce legislation that would overhaul the entire tax system, making it fair and equitable for the citizens of the Commonwealth and holding corporations and businesses accountable for their fair share. Additionally, I would advocate for a Constitutional amendment that will grant local governments the authority to submit “local option sales tax” projects for a vote of the people to spur development. Josh Mers: According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, $13 billion are lost every year in the Commonwealth through tax expenditures, i.e. tax breaks, exemptions and exclusions. This dereliction of duty by some in Frankfort is an affront to not only

How do i report election problems?

that the Commonwealth can’t cash. The Treasurer is the Chief Financial Officer for Kentucky and not the private account of any governor, Democrat or Republican. We’re not wearing team jerseys, but rather advocating for the taxpayer; the people of each of our 120 counties. I believe in a 2020 Vision for Kentucky’s Treasury. That vision is successful when we generate new sources of revenue, understand the importance of smart budgeting, strengthen our taxpayer safeguards, to include fraud detection and prevention capabilities and improve the overall financial literacy in Kentucky.

current Kentucky taxpayers but to generations to follow. As a commonwealth, we must take a comprehensive look at these tax expenditures and determine the tax payer’s return on investment. The Treasurer should be leading the call for curtailing or eliminating all together those that fail to provide a direct benefit to all Kentuckians. It is equally important that the office fosters investment that modernizes our economy and improves the quality of life. Kentuckians deserve a Treasurer that will not only be a good steward, but will advocate for economic reforms. Common sense advocacy that includes fair and equitable tax reform, protecting and fully funding our public pensions, investing in our infrastructure, roads and schools and operating our state government in a transparent, open way.

If you believe that your right to vote has been violated, please contact one of the following: • Precinct Election Officers • Local County Clerk

• State Board of Elections (502) 573-7100 • Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline 800-328-8683

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State Treasurer – Republican Nominee Republican incumbent State Treasurer Allison Ball has no opposition in the May primary. She will face the Democratic nominee in the November 5 General Election. Thanks to Allison Ball for responding to the survey. This race will not appear on the Primary Election ballot What is your vision for the role of the Kentucky Treasurer? How will our commonwealth be better in four years if you are elected? Allison Ball: The Kentucky State Treasurer is tasked with being a watchdog to make sure that state funds are spent in accordance with the laws and Constitution of our Commonwealth. In addition, the Treasurer should be maximizing returns of unclaimed property to Kentucky families. If reelected, I will continue the record-setting levels of returns that my office achieved over the past three years. The Treasurer is in a unique position to advocate for financial literacy and empowerment for all Kentuckians. Too many of our fellow Kentuckians are living paycheck to paycheck, sometimes due to becoming trapped in debt. If I am reelected, I will continue my efforts to expand financial literacy and empowerment programs for K-12 students, as well as vulnerable communities that are underserved in the area of financial empowerment, such as Kentuckians with disabilities, those below the poverty line, or who are of retirement age. During my first term, I helped create the STABLE Kentucky program, which helps Kentuckians with disabilities save and invest funds for education, transportation, housing and medical expenses, without losing access to government benefits. I will continue to promote these accounts, and the vital role they play in helping people achieve financial independence and stability. --------------------

Please highlight previous experience that you feel qualify you for serving in this office. Allison Ball: I have spent the last three years serving as your State Treasurer. During that time, I have promoted legislation such as STABLE Kentucky, the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, and the Kentucky

Financial Empowerment Commission, which Allison Ball have received broad bipartisan support. This www.ballforkentucky.com legislation is aimed www.facebook.com/ at improving the way allison4treasurer in which the Treasury serves Kentuckians, and twitter.com/ in raising the quality AllisonJoyBall of life for Kentuckians with disabilities. Prior to becoming State Treasurer, I worked in Eastern Kentucky as an Assistant County Attorney and in private practice as a bankruptcy attorney, where I represented families and individuals who were in deep financial distress. My work in these areas gave me a great deal of exposure to the difficulties facing so many people around our entire state, and I’ve tried to bring that experience to my work in Frankfort. --------------------

More than 250 tax expenditures are draining Kentucky’s General Fund. Kentucky loses more revenue from these expenditures than we generate for our state budget. As treasurer, what reforms would you support to enhance our state tax system? Allison Ball: The State Treasurer is a separate constitutional office from both the Governor and the General Assembly, and due to separation of powers concerns, has a very limited role in the crafting of tax legislation. However, as Treasurer, I have been vocally supportive of attempts to make contributions to STABLE accounts tax deductible. Our tax system should work to promote savings for those who need it most and to assist more Kentuckians in becoming financially independent.

Election Day is Tuesday, May 21. Polls are open 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. If you are standing in line at 6 p.m. you must be allowed to vote.

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absentee voting information Kentucky registered voters may vote at their precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting. Absentee ballots can be obtained only by contacting the County Clerk’s office. Mail-In Absentee Ballots To qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot, you must be: • Advanced in age, disabled, or ill; • Military personnel, their dependents, or overseas citizens; • A student who temporarily resides outside the county; • A voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky; • Incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime; or • Prevented from voting in person at the polls on election day and from casting an in-person absentee ballot in the county clerks office on all days in-person absentee voting is conducted because of employment outside the county. You or your spouse, parents, or children may contact your county clerk to request an absentee ballot application by phone, fax, electronic mail, mail, or in person. The county clerk will mail you the absentee ballot application or you can get an application in person at the county clerk’s office. You can either return the completed application by mail or you can hand-deliver it to the county clerk’s office. Your spouse, parents, or children, or a third party cannot hand deliver your completed application to the county clerk. An absentee ballot can be requested any time before an election if you know you are eligible to vote absentee. The county clerk will send a mail-in absentee ballot within 3 days of the state ballot printing deadline, which is 50 days before the election. The deadline for applying for a mail-in absentee ballot is 7 days before an election. The completed application must be received by the county clerk by mail or in person by the 7-day deadline. The absentee ballot must be received in the county clerk’s office by 6 p.m. local time on election day for the ballot to be counted. In-Person Absentee Voting To qualify to vote by in-person absentee ballot, you must be: • • • • • • •

Out of the county on election day Advanced in age, disabled, or ill Military, their dependents, or an overseas citizen Military personnel confined to base and learn of your confinement within seven days or less of an election Student or resident who temporarily resides outside of the county Voter or the spouse of a voter who has surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day Pregnant in third trimester

Voting Machine Absentee Ballots If you are eligible to vote by absentee ballot, a voting machine at the county clerk's office will be available 12 (or more) working days before the election. Contact your county clerk to find out the hours and dates of absentee voting in your county. More information about absentee voting at: https://elect.ky.gov/Frequently-Asked-Questions/Pages/Absentee-Voting.aspx

As a Kentucky voter, you have the right to: • Vote if you are registered • Ask questions on election procedures • Review a sample ballot before voting • Vote in privacy and free from coercion or intimidation • Have non-discriminatory equal access to the elections system for all voters, including elderly, disabled, and minority, military and overseas citizens. • Vote if you are in line to vote by 6 p.m., local time on election day • Occupy the voting booth up to two minutes if others are waiting in line • Have your ballot count if it is cast legally and timely • Vote in an accessible voting place • Receive assistance in voting if you are blind, have a physical disability, or have an inability to read English. (The person assisting can be someone you choose or the precinct election judges, except that the voter’s employer or an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union shall not assist.) • Skip races. You are not required to vote in every race. Blank sections on your ballot will not affect any of the other votes you have cast. • Cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day if you cannot be present to vote in-person on election day. See more about absentee ballots to the left.

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