When the Kentucky General Assembly meets on Tuesday, they’ll have a two-year budget to consider and pass before they adjourn in April—but local legislators are hoping to get some priorities passed as well.
Representative Walker Thomas represents District 8, which includes portions of Christian and Trigg counties and all of Caldwell County, and he says there’s a lot to be considered right away when they get to Frankfort. He says one of those things will be a vote to lower the income tax to four percent—but they’ll have to stop there for now, as the state hasn’t yet hit the thresholds to do that.
As for priorities that he intends to focus on heading into the session, top of the list is his effort to tax exempt military pensions, to help keep more retiring military in Kentucky and thank them for their service.
He says he also hopes to file a bill that would help increase the number of cyber security experts and officers in the Commonwealth, as the cyber front is one that is quickly becoming a different kind of battlefield.
Work will begin immediately when the legislature gavels in on Tuesday, with matters such as universal pre-kindergarten, reforms to the Department of Juvenile Justice and jails, pay raises for state employees up for debate.