By: Patrick Flannery
Representative, State of Kentucky
The General Assembly will convene on Tuesday, January 2 at Noon and, if the past few months provide any inclination, lawmakers will hit the ground running.
At the top of our agenda is crafting a state budget to provide for the state’s needs over the next two fiscal years. I am extremely proud of the budget approved two years ago because it was fiscally responsible and placed a strong emphasis on investing state resources in areas that will pay off for generations. The legislature also sought ways to hold various agencies and programs accountable for the services they exist to provide, again making sure that state government does all it can as stewards of the state’s resources.
In addition to the budget, we will consider a number of other issues with the ultimate goal of making this state the best place to build a life. Since adjourning the last session, our attention has been on continuing reforms to our juvenile justice system, addressing crime, and finding ways to address the workforce shortages. If you are interested in following along, please email me to be added to a list for regular updates.
Below is my 2024 Regular Session Legislative Questionnaire, which I hope you will take a few moments to complete. Please understand that I am not endorsing any of these proposals. Instead, the questions are based on proposals being discussed and issues considered during the interim. By sharing your opinions on these issues, you will help me better represent our district.
I hope you will take a few moments and complete this questionnaire and mail it to my Frankfort office at 702 Capital Avenue, Annex Room 324, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 or email it to me at Patrick.Flannery@lrc.ky.gov.
- What are your priority areas for state spending? Please rank in order of importance, with 1 your highest priority.
____ Jobs
____ Education
____ COVID-19 Recovery
____ Opioid Epidemic
____ Public Pension Liability
____ Roads and Bridges (Infrastructure)
____ Medicaid
____ Public Health Programs (Excluding Medicaid)
____ Public Safety (Law Enforcement)
____ Other ______________________________
- Local governments and business groups would like to let voters decide if the state constitution should be amended to allow the legislature to update how cities and counties raise revenue to compete with neighboring states. Would you support amending the constitution to do so?
____ Yes
____ No
____ Undecided
- Approximately one in seven Kentuckians between the ages of 17 and 24 are not in school or working. What do you believe is preventing these young adults from entering the workforce?
____ Desire to Work
____ Education
____ Substance Abuse
____ Transportation
____ Vaccine Mandates
____ Fear of Losing Government Benefits
____ Other (Please list) _______________________________________________________
____ Yes
____ No
____ Undecided
- Would you support amending the Kentucky Constitution to allow parents more flexibility in determining what school their child attends?
____ Yes
____ No
____ Undecided
- How concerned are you about the cost of utilities?
____ Very Concerned
____ Somewhat Concerned
____ Not Concerned
- What are you most concerned about? Please rank the following with 1 being your greatest concern.
____ Rising Cost of Living
____ Jobs
____ Crime
____ Education
____ Mental Health
____ COVID-19
____ Substance Abuse
____ Child Abuse
____ Other _______________________________________________________
____ Poor
____ Fair
____ Good
____ Excellent
- Should the state continue the certificate of need requirement for hospitals and health care facilities as part of an effort to avoid duplication of services and increased healthcare costs?
____ Yes
____ No
____ Undecided
- Are you concerned about crime?
____ Yes
____ No
____ Undecided
This questionnaire is also available on my page in the legislators section of the Legislative Research Commission’s (LRC) website. The Commission is the legislature’s administrative arm and maintains a helpful, information-packed website. It contains every bill and resolution, schedules, contact information, and details about the legislative process. I regularly refer to LRC publications, which provide research information on a variety of issues and can also be downloaded from the website.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at Patrick.Flannery@lrc.ky.gov and keep track of interim committee meetings through the Kentucky legislature’s website atlegislature.ky.gov.
