Gov. Andy Beshear Delivers Remarks On Kentucky Administrative Updates
On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) delivered remarks on Kentucky administrative updates.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Andy and welcome to this week's team Kentucky
00:04update. We'll start today where we always start with a red hot economy.
00:09Since taking office, my administration has been focused on ensuring that we
00:15govern where people wake up in the morning and what they worry about. When
00:19people wake up in the morning, they're not thinking about their party. They're
00:23not thinking about their political registration. They're thinking about
00:26their job and whether they make enough to support their family. They're
00:29thinking about their next doctor's appointment for themselves, their
00:32parents or their kids. They're thinking about the roads and bridges they're
00:36going to drive that day. They're thinking about the school they're
00:38going to drop their kids off at, and they're thinking about public safety in
00:42their community. Focusing on those issues has helped us achieve. We're
00:48not moving a state to the right or the left, but we're moving it forward and
00:52we're moving it forward for every single family. There is not a red job
00:57or a blue job, a democrat or a republican job and every single one of
01:02these that we create. It helps families all across the Commonwealth of
01:06Kentucky. So today's economic news is more proof that our momentum continues
01:11and that we're moving the state forward for absolutely everyone. Today, the
01:16Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority met and approved state
01:20support for six new location and expansion projects, totaling $434
01:26million of new investment in our Commonwealth and in our people that
01:31will create 260 new full time jobs for Kentuckians. Since the start of my
01:37administration, we have announced a record of what is now nearly $32
01:41billion in private sector investment. We're now close to 55,000 new quality
01:47jobs for our people. Today's project approvals add to that, and they include
01:53A. V. A. Redundant Web Services, which is considering an investment that will
01:58create good jobs in Clay County. They include Grissom, which is has a
02:02potential project in Marion County. They include Horse Soldier Farms, which
02:07is investing in a new distillery as part of the previously announced $200
02:12million tourism development project in Pulaski County. In addition, I'm happy
02:18to share specific details about three companies that were approved today that
02:23we know are moving forward first, and the first one comes out of the recent
02:29trip that I just took to Asia, a company we were able to sit down with,
02:33and we are now moving forward on an exciting project. Mitsubishi Electric
02:39U. S. Has announced plans to repurpose an existing manufacturing facility in
02:43Maysville to produce highly efficient heat pump compressors. The $143.5
02:50million investment will support 122 high wage full time jobs in Mason
02:56County. Last November, the U. S. Department of Energy announced that
03:00this project was selected for a $50 million grant, which is pending final
03:05approval as the second largest employer in Maysville. Mitsubishi Electric has
03:10produced automotive components in Kentucky since 1995. This will
03:14transition that facility to the new heat pump line. The company now plans
03:20to establish this would be the first ever U. S. Factory to build advanced
03:24twin rotary variable capacity compressors. I had the privilege of
03:29meeting with them during last week's trip to Japan, and we reaffirmed our
03:33desire to continue to grow together, and they reaffirmed their commitment to
03:37Maysville and Mason County. They bragged about the workforce that they have
03:42there and investing in them this morning. I heard from Mason County
03:47Judge Executive Owen McNeil, and he is excited. He shared that this is the
03:51largest investment in Mason County in the last 20 years or so. So this is a
03:56really big deal to Maysville and Mason County, and it's just more proof of our
04:03commitment that we're gonna make sure that we bring jobs everywhere, that our
04:07goal is to announce the largest investment in each of our counties that
04:11jobs should come to people instead of expecting people to travel to jobs on.
04:15It's really exciting again to see continued foreign direct investment,
04:20especially from our great partner in Japan in this project. So congratulations
04:25to Mitsubishi Electric's leadership and their decision to reinvest in Kentucky.
04:31Next, I want to highlight exciting news in the state's food manufacturing
04:36sector. Miss Con America, a producer of pasta sauce and vinegar products, has
04:41announced plans to expand their current operation in Owensboro. This $156
04:47million investment is gonna create 44 new Kentucky jobs. The additional space
04:52provided by the expansion will allow for building improvements, new machinery and
04:56equipment and I. T. Upgrades. I want to thank the company. They have been a
05:01team Kentucky partner for a long time, and this reinvestment just shows how
05:06great Owensboro's workforce is the hard work that local officials have put in
05:10there. So congratulations to everybody on this announcement. Our manufacturing
05:15industry also continues to grow at incredible speed. The sector is leading
05:20the way for our surging economy and providing opportunities to Kentuckians
05:23in every corner of our state. This new company is getting in on that action.
05:29Peak Precision Manufacturing is a startup, mass production and
05:33manufacturing business that's going to establish a new facility in Bowling
05:36Green, Kentucky. The company is investing $3 million and will create 24
05:41full time Kentucky jobs. Peak Precision's choice to locate in Bowling
05:45Green is a testament to our state's workforce. It's also a testament to
05:49Bowling Green that last year was the number one city of its size and
05:54economic development in America, according to site selection magazine.
05:58That's because of a lot of great partnerships. The state is a part of
06:02that. But my goodness to all our local officials, to all the groups, to the
06:07industrial authority and everyone else. Great job. And that momentum only
06:11continues with this announcement. I want to thank Peak Precision's company's
06:16leadership for their belief in our great state, and I look forward to
06:19their success for years to come. Now we talk a lot at these about how this
06:24doesn't happen overnight. It takes hard work. It takes investment. And I was
06:28proud two budgets ago when the General Assembly and the executive branch came
06:32together and agreed that we should invest. That formalized our K. P. D. I.
06:36Program, the Kentucky Product Development Initiative that recognizes
06:40that it's great to have a big announcement where jobs are going to
06:43come. But the next company needs a site and the one after that and the one
06:47after that. And we can't rest on our laurels even after we announced the
06:50biggest investment in our history at $5.8 billion with Blue Oval S. K. Or the
06:55$2 billion A. E. S. C. Investment, the second largest in our history. You
07:00know that next investment needs to come to a county that's looking for jobs,
07:04and we want to make sure that we are investing in their sites, getting the
07:07infrastructure to them, building the roads, running the water, making sure it
07:12has the power that's needed to run whatever business would look their way.
07:17So today I'd like to highlight two counties that received approval today
07:22through the K. P. D. I. Program. These projects are in Rock Castle and Rowan
07:27counties, and it totals over $1.1 million in state funding. The Rock
07:31Castle County project also includes regional support from Garrett and
07:35Lincoln counties. I've said this before. In the last four years, we are seeing
07:39more cooperation amongst our counties than I have ever seen, and it's it's a
07:44huge benefit. It makes it easier to bring in these companies because they
07:47see their workforces regional. But it's a real testament to the county
07:51judges and others that are involved. So today we have approved $31 million
07:57in state funding in the second round of the K. P. D. I. Program. Again, it is
08:02a great program that shows that economic development is bipartisan or
08:07nonpartisan, but it takes work. It takes investment and grateful. The
08:11General Assembly has provided the dollars for us to continue to do this
08:15good work.
08:16Over this last week, I was continuing to work on economic development as I
08:21visited Japan and South Korea. These two countries are an incredibly
08:26important part of our success in Kentucky, both in the last 40 years and
08:31certainly in the last four years. The Commonwealth is home to 200 Japanese
08:36owned facilities that employ 47,000 people and seven Korean owned
08:42facilities that employ 1200 people. We met one on one with 18 companies that
08:47currently employ over 15,000 Kentuckians that have announced another
08:527000 full time jobs. They include Latte Aluminum. The latte company is
08:58enormous. Uh, S. K. On. We got to meet with the number to the vice chair of
09:03all of S. K. D. A. E. I. L. Dial. Uh, in fact, which is down in Campbellsville
09:11and you might remember announced a doubling of the size of their facility
09:15on Toyota as well as son Tori. But going back to Toyota, this was pretty
09:20special. They hadn't told us and not many of their executives knew. But the
09:24chairman, Mr Toyota from from the family, uh, came to the meeting. It was
09:30special to see what Kentucky means to that enormous company, how they view us
09:37as an important part of the chapter of their important chapter in the history
09:41of their company. Mr Toyota got to walk me through how their company
09:45started with. I believe it was his great grandfather making an invention
09:49about a loom so that his mom could go to bed at night and didn't have to sit
09:53up with it all night. I mean, what a special way for a company toe to start
09:58with not just innovation, but out of how much you care about your family
10:03members. This was an incredibly warm meeting. Um, Toyota told us that they
10:09continue to invest in Kentucky recently, a $1.3 billion investment on
10:15that they are going to be a big part of our future. Also great meeting with
10:19son Tori as they continue to invest in their distilleries all around Kentucky.
10:24We are grateful to these companies. Since I took office, the companies we
10:28met with have announced investments of over $10 billion in Kentucky. Uh, and
10:33on top of that, had the opportunity to continue to make good connections
10:39within the governments of these two countries and the Commonwealth of
10:42Kentucky. So I got the opportunity to see again Governor Omura. He is from
10:47the I. T. Perfect oral government of Japan. That's kind of one of their
10:51states, one of the provinces. And this is their state that has the largest
10:56number of companies that have invested in Kentucky. I hosted him here two
11:00months ago. Got to see him again, both in a meeting where we signed a new
11:05memorandum of understanding that will help guide further investments between
11:09his state and and ours, as well as a reception we held where we had a huge
11:16number of Japanese companies come on. He participated and helped us with that. I
11:22also got to join Secretary Jim Gray to meet with the National Police Agency of
11:26the Republic of Korea to sign a driver's license reciprocity agreement. We're
11:31either the 25th of the 26 state to enter into that type of agreement with
11:35them. It's something very important for their executives and ours because it
11:39works both ways. So now is a Kentucky and you can drive in Seoul. Um, but
11:44but it's very important for executives both ways to to not have the hassles to
11:49make sure that we are as welcoming of a state as possible. I really enjoyed
11:54meeting with U. S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. Uh, we had a great
11:58conversation about Japan's investments in Kentucky, and he had a lot of great
12:02words in our reception about Kentucky, and I appreciated what he said about
12:07Kentucky's current leadership. Um, was very kind of him. All right, moving on
12:12to the end of our fiscal year. I want Kentucky is to know we've now closed
12:17the books on the 2024 fiscal year compared to the fiscal year 2024 budget
12:24that was enacted in the 2022 legislative session. The fiscal year 2024 ended
12:30with the largest budget surplus ever, about $2 billion, most of which came
12:37from the $1.4 billion revenue surplus. So let me just go through those. The
12:43revenue surplus is how much revenue came in over expectations. The budget
12:48surplus includes a lot more than that. That was, uh, overall revenue compared
12:53to spending. Uh, and so $2 billion or close to that is our overall budget
13:00surplus for fiscal year 2024, our biggest and our best ever. That shows
13:06two things. One, a red hot economy and second strong fiscal management. What
13:12this does is set us up to be able to make important investments moving into
13:16the future. It helped set the table because some of that was already
13:20budgeted for the next budget. You know, record amounts going into water, sewer,
13:25economic development and a number of other projects that were included in
13:29that budget. I want to thank john Hicks as well as our budget office for
13:35everything they've done and congratulations to Kentucky on now four
13:39straight years with $1 billion plus budget surplus. Every year I've been in
13:45office that we've had the full fiscal year. We've now had a billion dollar
13:49plus budget surplus. We know how to not just run a balanced budget. We know how
13:54to run a revenue positive budget that allows us to have more dollars to put
13:59into our kids, to our families and to our infrastructure. Based on the
14:04fiscal year 2023 data released by the National Association of State Budget
14:09Officers this past spring, Kentucky ranked six of the 50 states in the
14:14balance of the budget reserve trust fund balance as a percentage of general
14:18fund spending. So that shows you how we budget and we've done this by at the
14:25same time breaking every export record, every tourism record and now every
14:30fiscal record within the state. So what I see is a sense of optimism across
14:37Kentucky. That's not just me. I stand with Republican legislators and their
14:41districts and we all talk about how things are looking up. We may think
14:45that they're coming from different places. I believe that there's enough
14:48credit to be shared amongst everyone. But the fact that we are optimistic at
14:53a time where pessimism seems to hang over our country shows we know how to
14:57do this right and I'm grateful for everyone from every party, red, blue or
15:02otherwise that have helped make this happen. So congratulations to Kentucky
15:06on its biggest budget surplus ever
15:10moving from that to another promise that I made and that's to rebuild every
15:16home and every life from the natural disasters that have struck us. This
15:21weekend marks the two year anniversary of the historic flooding in eastern
15:25Kentucky that took the lives of 45 Kentucky ins. Many families lost
15:30everything they had, including their homes. I remember standing and not
15:35counting at the site where we lost those kids. Home was gone and there was
15:39just a little plastic swing that was remaining. Uh, not county judges, a
15:44friend of mine who's become a friend of mine stood there and prayed for that
15:48family and I hope some level of pieces come to them and to everyone else. I
15:54think about the family where they still haven't recovered the body of the last
15:58victim and and how that must hurt and continue to hurt even two years later.
16:04And I think about the families, including one at a state park that came
16:07in and we're hugging on on the cashier who is their daughter who told me that
16:12their parents had lost absolutely everything in the clothes that they
16:15were wearing were the only clothes that they had from the moment those flood
16:20hits the hit though we saw neighbors helping neighbors. We saw what is truly
16:25great about Kentucky ins. In our most difficult times, we come together, we
16:30help each other, we push everything else aside and we just be the good human
16:34beings that we are here in Kentucky. We are going to continue to work to get
16:40things done. And while many communities and families are still recovering, this
16:44is a multi year rebuild. Much progress has been made. So friday I'm gonna be
16:48traveling to four counties, Floyd, not Perry and breath it to remember the
16:55events and share some good news on housing and our progress on
16:58infrastructure. And today I have some updates on the progress of our state
17:03recovery. So thus far, FEMA has approved individual assistance
17:09applications to 8,775 eastern Kentucky flood survivors. That totals more than
17:15$110.5 million under the individual and households program. We had to fight hard
17:21for that money because the rules are way too difficult. But what I'm proud of
17:25is Kentucky ins did not get up and because of that, FEMA has changed so
17:29many of their policies. It's now benefiting everyone else who's gone
17:32through hard times and it's going to benefit our people from recent storms
17:36that we got individual assistance approved on public assistance funding.
17:40Now more than $274.7 million has been awarded. The hazard mitigation grant
17:46program has obligated more than $64.2 million. On june 27th, Kentucky
17:53achieved a significant mitigation property acquisition milestone. That's
17:57the buyout program. Those are the really long words for the buyout program with
18:01the award to the city of Jackson for more than $766,000 to acquire six
18:07properties through that buyout program. With this award, FEMA has now provided
18:11$84.7 million in grants to acquire property in the flood zone that will
18:17move people out of the flood zone and make sure they never go through this
18:21again. Uh, that's been 500 homes acquired across five of the 20 counties
18:27impacted. Uh, to date, 138 bridges have either been repaired or replaced and
18:33federal disaster recovery funds being provided by HUD through the Community
18:37Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery or C. D. B. G. D. R. Program
18:42are now available. In total, $279 million in federal disaster recovery
18:47funding was secured for the 2022 Eastern Kentucky flooding. Remember,
18:52there was a separate award for 2021 that includes tornadoes, but also in
18:572021 Jackson and Breathitt County were hit by flooding that year as well, and
19:01they qualify for those funds to
19:05in Prestonsburg, we're using $8 million to build 34 homes for 2021 and 2022
19:10flood survivors in Letcher County. We're using $8.7 million to build 29
19:16homes. The city of Jackson will use $2.3 million to build eight homes, and
19:20that is all out of the C. D. B. G. D. R. Funding that is coming out on. We
19:25will get more out. And as a reminder, people were really generous to the team.
19:30Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund. $13.2 million were donated from over
19:3541,500 donors, and an audit found that every single dollar is finding the
19:41right location in this Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund.
19:47So far, 25 homes have been completed through the through the fund. Those
19:51homes are located in Breathitt Floyd, not Perry, Owsley, Martin and Letcher
19:56Counties. Uh, we'll also on Friday provide an update on our high ground
20:02communities. The hardest work in all of these is getting the utilities there is
20:07running. The electricity is getting the water and the sewer. But because
20:11that work has been underway and is certainly underway at the moment, we're
20:15gonna see homes coming up this calendar year in not county in, uh, in in Perry
20:22County and in so many others of these communities. So Friday tomorrow I will
20:28be in Eastern Kentucky with a lot more updates on a lot of progress that's
20:33occurring. So we can't do an update on the 2022 storms without giving you an
20:39update on all the storms that have hit sense. So over the Memorial Day weekend
20:44earlier this year, a severe weather system swept through Kentucky and
20:48tragically took the lives of six Kentuckians.
20:54Each one of them is a child of God, and we provided for for funerals for for
20:59those that have sought that funding. In response, I declared a state of
21:03emergency and requested a federal disaster declaration from President Joe
21:08Biden. During the devastating event, 15 tornadoes swept through Kentucky.
21:12Power outages peaked at over 215,000 homes and businesses. The extent of the
21:17damage is truly heartbreaking. And maybe what hurt most is two communities, um,
21:22Barnsley and Charleston that had been hit or their location right outside of
21:27Dawson Springs, where my dad is from, had been hit. The Barnsley location that
21:31was hit by an F three had been hit by the F four in 2021. But just like
21:38before, neighbors have helped out neighbors. The debris removal has
21:43happened pretty quickly. And then President Joe Biden and the Biden
21:47Harris administration has come through yet again and just authorized
21:52individual assistance and, uh, public assistance for a number of counties. Do
21:58we have a slide that has those counties
22:01on the screen? You will see, um, federal funding is available for the counties
22:07that are on your screen are the ones that individual assistance is currently
22:11available for. We will try to add to this list, but families that are in this
22:16county that suffered damage that that insurance is is not going to cover will
22:21have an opportunity to apply for individual assistance and get help from
22:25our federal government. In addition to that, 58 counties qualified for public
22:31assistance, which will help the county cities and the state to rebuild. So if
22:35your property was damaged between May 21st and 27th, that's the window of
22:40time from these storms. You can apply for FEMA assistance. It's available for
22:44home repairs and other critical needs. You can apply through all the different
22:48ways that are on the screen. But my message today is thank you to the
22:53president and to the vice president, um, for for coming through for us. But I
22:57also want to thank our federal delegation, our senators and our
23:01representatives who strongly supported this application, and they have every
23:05time, regardless of their party, regardless of any disagreements with me
23:09or with the president. This is one where we have all come together to do the
23:13right thing each and every time. So I'm grateful to our entire federal
23:18delegation. Thank you for their work and their continued work. This is what
23:22we do best. This shows that we're Kentuckians or Americans before we are
23:26Democrats or Republicans. Caring for our neighbors is our calling, and I'm
23:31proud that we do it while we've been hit by far too much. We've come
23:37together every single time. Last week was also the two year anniversary of
23:42Kentucky's 988 suicide and crisis lifeline in Kentucky. We want everybody
23:48to know that it's okay to not be okay. You know, the amount of mental health
23:55challenges that are out there in our country right now, it at least feels
23:59like it's the most that we've ever faced. And I want people to know that
24:03there is this hotline where people are standing by. They care about you. They
24:07want to help you, and they have special and specific training to be able to do
24:11it. This is the version of 911 988 to help in a mental health crisis and to
24:17get the very best support immediately. Since the launch of 988
24:22compassionate trained counselors, because that's what they are, have
24:26received more than 84,000 calls, 25,000 text messages and 15,000 online chats
24:32from Kentuckians. Currently, our network of 13 in state call centers has
24:36answered the phone on an average of 23 seconds. That's 13 seconds faster than
24:42the national average. We're working on a 14th call center because these
24:45services are needed, and we want to answer the phone even faster. And
24:50there's more good news. There's been a 28% increase in calls routed to in
24:54state centers since the launching of 988, meaning more Kentuckians are being
24:59helped by Kentuckians. We want to help all the people within our state. We
25:05want to meet all of our mental health needs. We're building out networks, and
25:10988 has been a critical and important one. So thank you to everybody involved
25:15in the 988 crisis hotline today. I also want to give an update on how
25:19we're supporting our wonderful veteran organizations through the Veterans
25:23Program Trust Fund. Our military veterans represent the best of Team
25:27Kentucky, and they deserve the best from Team Kentucky. From day one, one of
25:32my top priorities has been to create more opportunities, prosperity and
25:35success for all of our families. And we have a chance to do that in a way that
25:40no generation has ever done before. But let me be clear. The American dream is
25:44only possible because of the dedication and the sacrifice of our
25:48veterans and our active service members. I was proud to have been to have
25:54appointed a board that allocates the funds that we receive through the
25:57veteran license plate purchases and renewals to support important veterans
26:02organizations. Following last month's meeting, the boards approved and awarded
26:07first a grant the amount of $11,000 to Project Healing Waters. That's a Louisville
26:12program to provide the necessary equipment for veterans to participate
26:16in fly fishing. Kentucky Wounded Heroes was awarded more than $28,000 to
26:21provide an opportunity for wounded veterans to travel and experience the
26:25outdoors while fellowship while experiencing fellowship and
26:29reconnecting to nature. The Heather and a French Foundation for Veterans was
26:33awarded $15,000 to provide the 2024 military education display at the
26:39Kentucky State Fair. It's just one of our most visited displays. Visual
26:43presentations $10,000 to honor our veteran community with a Veterans Day
26:48parade. The Kentucky Minute Man Relief Fund was awarded $50,000 to provide
26:52financial grants to the Kentucky Army and Air National Guard members
26:56experiencing periods of financial distress during natural disasters. The
27:00veterans walking wounded project was awarded $20,000 to help the Fayette
27:05County Veterans Drug and Treatment Court program. The National Association
27:09for Black Veterans was awarded $22,500 to honor veterans and their families
27:14through a Veterans Day parade. The indigent burial internal was awarded
27:19$25,000 to provide reimbursement costs incurred for burying an indigent
27:25veteran. The total fund grants for more than $181,500. That is the most ever
27:33awarded from a single meeting for the Veterans Program Trust Fund. If you're
27:38interested in helping, uh, you can support the program by visiting
27:41veterans dot ky dot gov. We will continue to work hard to fulfill our
27:47mission to our veterans. Scripture reminds us carry each other's burdens
27:52and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ as a Kentucky and as an
27:57American will continue to give thanks to the bravery, the selflessness and
28:01the sacrifice of our veterans. And finally, I'm recognizing our Kentucky
28:07State Police civilians employees as this week's team Kentucky all stars.
28:12Would you all join us up here?
28:24Come on up.
28:26It's just a small group of people. So thanks for coming.
28:32How are you? Nice to see you. Thanks for your work. How we doing?
28:38I appreciate y'all. Thanks for coming.
28:44K. S. P. Has about 800 civilian employees that serve in a variety of
28:49roles from telecommunications, maintenance, driver testing,
28:52information technology, public relations, forensic testing and record
28:58The majority of these Kentucky ins do not work the average 9 to 5 job. Many
29:02civilian employees are on the job across the commonwealth every hour of
29:06every day. In some capacity, they sacrifice time and their families time
29:11with their families in the name of creating a safer Kentucky. They embody
29:15the teamwork, the strength and the dedication that's oftentimes needed in
29:20times of great sorrow. They do. They do it thinking of others before
29:26themselves and and we are thankful for their service. Right this moment,
29:30Lieutenant Governor Coleman is attending K. S. P. S. Annual civilian
29:34awards ceremony where 15 civilians are being presented with awards for their
29:39dedication to public safety in the year 2023. The awards include the 2023
29:44civilian of the year, career achievement, police communication
29:48support and supervisor of the year among others. Their work is the best of
29:52the best and and the state police could not operate without them. We
29:57couldn't keep the people of Kentucky safe without them. That's why I'm
30:01naming them this week's team Kentucky all stars. They are there for people at
30:05their toughest and oftentimes their their lowest moment. They help pick us
30:09up and they walk hand in hand with our people to create a better, safer
30:15Kentucky. So thank you to our team Kentucky all stars. Appreciate you.
30:19Thank you very much for coming. Thank you. We appreciate y'all. All right.
30:24Great. Thank you. I don't think you want to be up here for questions.
30:32All right.
30:34I think we have some questions. Um, we'll open it up for questions the way
30:38we've always done this is I have the confirmed list. We'll go through and
30:43allow everybody to ask a question. We have so many people that if your
30:46questions already been asked and you don't want to, that is okay. Um, but
30:50let me start out with the statement because I do believe I'm likely to be
30:54asked a question over and over and I'm gonna tell you up front, this is my
30:58statement on it that I'm likely to repeat. I am honored to be considered
31:05and regardless of what comes next, I'll do everything I can between now and
31:10election day to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States
31:14of America. Uh, you all know what question that is in response to. Um,
31:18and that is my full statement on that topic. Okay, so we will start with Joe
31:24Sanka with all the vice presidential speculation right now. I have some
31:30foreign policy questions for you specifically on the Israeli conflict in
31:35Gaza. So I'm gonna write all these off real quick. First of all, do you
31:39support an immediate ceasefire in that conflict to you support conditioning
31:44U. S. Military aid on Israel limiting civilian casualties? Three. Do you
31:50support the two state solution? And last, do you approve of the Biden
31:54administration's foreign policy towards Israel since the October 7th lost
32:00Tuesday? Foreign policy is set by the president of the United States. Israel
32:05is a strong ally of the United States. When you have disagreements with a
32:09strong ally, I think you have them privately, and I don't think you can
32:13litigate foreign policy through the press. Uh, Bodie Brooks. Thank you,
32:18Governor. I have a bit of a two part question. First, the natural appearances
32:24you made this week on CNN and MSNBC. Were you invited on to make those
32:29appearances or did you request to make those appearances? Second, because of
32:34those interviews, you're being characterized as an attack. Vice
32:37President Harris, Senator Vance, do you agree with that characterization?
32:42And are you comfortable playing that role? Well, I was invited on each of
32:47those and invited on each of those before we saw all this news that came
32:52out. Um, what I said about J. D. Vance isn't because of anything that is
32:59rumored about me or any role he stepped into. It's because he has exploited and
33:05attempted to attack my fellow Kentuckians. And it's my job as
33:09governor to stand up when that happens, uh, to spend some summers or parts of
33:15summers or weekends or come into special events and then to claim that
33:20you know the people of Easter Kentucky, the culture of Easter Kentucky to make
33:24money off of of that claim and then to call our people names is just not
33:29acceptable. If anybody else had done it, I'd be speaking up to, uh, listen, I'm
33:34from Kentucky. This is my home. It will always be my home no matter what. And
33:40I will always stand up for our people.
33:43Rebecca Grapevine. Yes, Governor, you may be soon perhaps getting Secret
33:48Service protection. And I wanted to know about your stance about the agency's
33:53Trump rally failures and also whether Winnie would maintain a friendly stance
33:58for the Secret Service. Winnie has a friendly stance towards everybody.
34:03Thankfully, she doesn't bite anybody. Um, listen, I've got a great K. S. P.
34:09Detail that keeps me safe every single day. And no matter what is going on, I
34:13fully trust them and what would want them to be involved in in anything and
34:19everything around me. These are people that have protected my kids the last
34:22four years. They're very special to us, and I consider them an extended part of
34:27my family. And I'm still here, even after all the threats that would come
34:30in during Cove it and everything else. So I fully trust them with with my
34:35security. What happened with the shooting at former President Trump is
34:40absolutely unacceptable. It is a full failure by the Secret Service. Everybody,
34:46every every American deserves to be safe and feel safe wherever they are.
34:50And that includes Donald Trump, and it includes anybody at a at a political
34:55rally. But the thing I, um, I hate most about all that is the individual who
35:00lost their life. They went to support a candidate. That's that's part of what
35:05makes us American. That's that's part of of our system, and it shouldn't matter
35:10whether you agree or disagree with that individual's candidate. No one should
35:14ever lose their life when they're showing up to express their their First
35:18Amendment rights. So the Secret Service better do better. And I think what you
35:23saw is bipartisan condemnation that these things just shouldn't happen. Uh,
35:30Liam. Governor, I want to ask about President Joe Biden's recent Oval Office
35:37speech explaining why he stopped his reelection campaign. He said in that
35:43speech that nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And in the
35:46recent past, he's defended calling Trump a threat to democracy. Of course,
35:51it's been reported that, you know, from following the 2020 election, he asked
35:55the Georgia Secretary of State to find votes, and also it's been reported that,
35:59you know, Trump pressure local election officials in Michigan not to sign
36:04certification of the election. Do you personally think Trump is a threat to
36:08democracy? Yes, I do. Former President Trump refused to accept a full and fair
36:15election, uh, took steps to try to overturn it, but also incited a mob
36:20that attacked our U. S. Capital. We deserve better. I can't believe that he
36:26is somehow a presidential candidate after all of that. And it just shows why
36:30we need after this election to get to such a better place. The temperature of
36:35our country is too high, too many people yelling at each other simply
36:39because of their party registration. We're supposed to be Americans first
36:44before we're Democrats or Republicans, and we seem to have forgotten that. Now,
36:48I believe Vice President Harris is the candidate that can help lead us past
36:53that. I think she, like me, um, governs where people live, where they wake up
36:58each morning and the things that they're they're worried about. I talk
37:01about those all the time. Like jobs. You look at the I. R. A. And how it is
37:06helping us to reshore companies and create good jobs in Kentucky and across
37:11America. That's a better life for families, whether they're Democrat or
37:14Republican coming into it. She believes in public education today. She is in
37:19Texas with A. F. T. Just like this morning, I was with J. C. P. S. Telling
37:24them very clear that public dollars are for public schools, and I will do
37:28everything I can to defeat Amendment to which aims to defund our Kentucky
37:32public education. I've been pro education and pro teacher every day of
37:37public life, and I still view one of my best and greatest accomplishments when
37:42we overturn that sewer bill and protected the pension of every teacher,
37:45police officer, firefighter and social worker throughout this state. Um, she
37:51worries about the roads and bridges that people drive every day. Think
37:54about what the bipartisan infrastructure law is doing. I mean,
37:57we're actually building the Brent Spence Companion Bridge after three
38:00administrations claim they do it. We are doing it, and she's pro health care.
38:06She made the challenge that Kentucky responded to talking about the truth
38:10that that maternal mortality in this country is unacceptable on ask that we
38:16expand Medicaid for a full year for both the mom and the new child. We
38:23answered the call and did that. But then also think about the B program they
38:26pushed through bringing Internet access to every home across Kentucky and
38:31across America is going to allow our people to connect on get virtual health
38:37care at a level that has never been done before. Meaning everyone will have
38:41access sometimes out of their their own home. We need better in this country.
38:47We deserve better in this country, and I believe Vice President Harris is
38:50gonna lead us to a better place.
38:53Alex.
38:54Um, thanks, Governor.
39:00I am honored to be considered, and regardless of what comes next, I'll do
39:05everything I can between now and Election Day to make sure that that the
39:10vice president becomes our next president.
39:15Uh, Sarah, we have, sir. No. Um, Dave Mattingly, Governor. Seven months ago,
39:22we sat in this very room in an interview, and you told me that you had
39:26no interest in a national office. I'd like to know what's changed. I love
39:33this state, and I love this job. My kids are happy, but we're making record
39:39progress in Kentucky again. The only way that I would consider accepting
39:45anything else is if I believe that I can help this state and this country
39:50more in a different way. Listen, any change it would admittedly be
39:56disruptive on my family. But if we can help the United States of America get
40:00to a better place, it's better for my kids, too. And my life changed. Um, with
40:07the birth of my two kids, I had a good job in in the in the private sector. We
40:12were comfortable. But But that day I looked at them a year and three days
40:16apart, those two instances,
40:20and I just felt like I had to do something more for them to create the
40:24world that they deserve. So listen, I love this job. I still plan on serving
40:29out my full second term. And if this job is the last political job I ever do,
40:34it is more than enough for me. It's a great responsibility and a great gift
40:39to be able to serve as Kentucky's governor. And no matter what, this is my
40:42home and I'll have a home here and I'll continue to fight for Kentucky
40:46and in any and every way that I can.
40:50Mark,
40:54well, I can't say I'm honored to be considered.
40:58Uh, Mason
41:01Governor funding sources have stated you have been asked to send vetting
41:04materials.
41:07What I can do is give the same statement that I started out with. That's the
41:12statement I'm authorized to give at this point.
41:16Uh, Carolina.
41:18Do you believe that you and the vice president
41:23Well, I think what's needed right now is a ticket that not only can can win,
41:29but again can can govern and can govern in a way that's for everyone. We can.
41:34We can't keep going with this. Everything being red or blue or
41:37Democrat or Republican. You know, everything right now from the car you
41:40buy to the beer you drink. Somebody tries to make partisan and say you have
41:44to pick a team and I see it every day in Kentucky. Our people are exhausted
41:47with it. We are desperate for something better. Uh, and I think we're desperate
41:52to make sure that that our next president is somebody that you can sit
41:55your kids in front of the TV and they can watch it without worrying about
41:59what that person might say. I believe our vice president is first. She's
42:05strong. She's tough as nails. She's an A. G. Like me and I know an A. G. When
42:09I see one, that's somebody who works hard for all the people of their state
42:14and I know will work hard for for people in the country. But I believe
42:18that this is the type of leader that can help just get us to that place
42:24where whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, your kids can watch that
42:29next address and you can feel good about what they're gonna say, what
42:33they're gonna see and what she's gonna say.
42:35Uh, Shauna, my cell. Yes. Welcome to Kentucky. Okay.
42:44I'm curious. Have you talked to the vice president since coming in? And
42:48also even today, he says that she would always be there, but it felt like
42:52you could do better. Can you believe that?
42:55Well, I have not talked to the vice president personally since she called
42:58me in the in just a couple hours after President Biden made his announcement.
43:04Uh, that call meant a lot to me. She personally asked for my support and I
43:08said, of course, and I'm providing all of that support. Uh, I think all of
43:14this attention is really about what we're doing in Kentucky. You travel
43:20around Kentucky right now and you see a state where the temperature is turned
43:23down, where neighbors aren't yelling at neighbors, where we're achieving in
43:28every part of the state, where we've got people from different parties
43:32standing side by side, uh, talking about a new investment in clean
43:36drinking water or the expansion of Internet or the newest jobs
43:40announcement. I was in Allen County for the Bellmark announcement, 100 plus
43:45new jobs, the largest investment in about a decade since Smucker's came
43:48there. Uh, and it was me and two Republican legislators, and we were all
43:52excited about what was going on. Um, if if we can, whoever makes up this
44:00ticket, if we can get to that type of place in the United States of America,
44:05I think everyone will take a breath. I think everyone will smile a little bit
44:10more, and I think we'll start enjoying the prosperity that I believe has
44:15started to come to the United States and is building
44:19Karen.
44:20Governor, thank you. You talked a lot about the upward trajectory of
44:24Kentucky's economy. How could you translate that success on a national
44:29level? And secondly, what is the level of support from home? Well,
44:36well, on that last one, um, I'd refer you to my statement. Uh, but but
44:42certainly, uh, Kentucky is is in an exciting place. And part of the reason
44:48that we're here is that we recognize that the signing in the Rose Garden or
44:53when I signed bills right over here, that's not the end. It hadn't created
44:56one job, like the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure law. The
45:00inflation Reduction Act were exciting moments. But you then got to go out and
45:05do the work. That's us building the two largest battery plants on planet Earth.
45:10That's building the cleanest, greenest recycled paper mill in Henderson. That's
45:15the A. S. C. Project that's gonna employ 2000 Kentucky ends in in Bowling
45:20Green. That's the announcements we made today. One of the largest
45:23announcements in Mason County and in 10 years. What a governor can bring to
45:29the table is knowing how to get it done, knowing how to get the dollars that are
45:33allocated by these projects out there. And there is always room for
45:37improvement on the speed that you can get those dollars into a community
45:42because every day that we get held up and any type of red tape is a day that
45:48those jobs aren't being created. A job that Internet is not getting to that
45:52house. Um, I know how to execute on legislation on at the end of the day.
45:58What I believe in our jobs are our infrastructure, clean drinking water for
46:05people, Internet access for everyone. I believe in public safety and public
46:09education. I believe health care is a basic human right. And no matter what
46:13role that I'm in, those will always be my focus. It's on on our people and
46:18making sure that we spend every moment just just providing a better life for
46:22them. Legacy is not about an election. Legacy is not about a title you have.
46:26Legacy is about the people you help. And that comes from my faith. That's one
46:30of the reasons we're we're put here on Earth. Uh, Jose.
46:38I'm on the immigrant community. There's a lot of uncertainty and even that
46:43issue of immigration.
46:46How would you advocate for the invisible immigrant community? It's also
46:50a lot of the economic, uh,
46:55even if immigration reform might be out of the question, what's your stance on
47:00the DREAM Act?
47:04Well, dreamers, this is the only country they've ever known, and they
47:07should be able to continue in this country and ultimately have full
47:10citizenship. These air kids. Um, and and I believe every child is the child of
47:15God, and we ought to prove it when it comes to those individuals. I think
47:20a lot of the rhetoric around immigration comes from illegal
47:24immigration, and that ends up impacting those seeking asylum and those that
47:29are here legally and our ability to actually pass reasonable immigration
47:34reform. Now, where we eventually have to get on this is is without it being a
47:38political cudgel that people attack each other with to actually sit down
47:43and look at the policy of what our American workforce needs and to try to
47:48make sure that we have a policy that actually works to achieve our goals.
47:52Um, and then in our asylum, we've got to invest to make it work better and
47:59make it work faster. Those air having more judges. Those air having more
48:04individuals that help move that system along and to have what was a
48:08bipartisan agreement blown up simply for politics. You know, that's the
48:13worst of America, not the best of America. So, so listen, we we've got
48:18it. We've got to say, say clearly that illegal immigration is illegal. We
48:22can't say that the rule of law applies to to to the former president and
48:26doesn't apply in other instances. But we also can say that these are human
48:30beings, and we ought to make sure that the way that we enforce our laws shows
48:35our humanity.
48:37Molly Jet.
48:38Hi,
48:40what do Will and Lila think about their father?
48:43Uh, Will's 15, Lila's 14. Um, that means the amount I get to talk to them
48:50is a little bit different, uh, than it was years ago. My family has always
48:54been my rock. Um, they have always been incredibly supportive. Um, I wouldn't
48:59enter any type of process. I wouldn't read a statement saying it's an honor
49:05to be considered. Um, if they weren't behind me with whatever comes now,
49:10anything that comes, I'm gonna sit down, um, and talk with them. They are
49:15the most important parts of my life, uh, would do anything for their
49:19happiness. And, um, I'm really, really blessed as a dad. All right, virtual.
49:27We've got Morgan Hoover.
49:29Mhm.
49:32I'm becoming my dad. He always tears up and talking about his family.
49:39Hi, Governor. Uh, I'm curious to know if there's any other shifts or projects
49:43in place for in the works to support, but to really sustain the growth that
49:48Bowling Green has been experiencing.
49:51Uh, yes. And there's even specific money in the budget to help on the
49:56infrastructure side in Bowling Green, provided we get certain assurances from
50:00some large companies that are there. I think you will see us be able to move
50:04on that soon. And when we do, it will be really exciting news for Bowling
50:08Green, Bowling Green and Warren County were also the biggest beneficiaries of
50:12a couple of housing announcements that we recently made. Those are affordable
50:16housing announcements. One is the largest single housing announcement,
50:20though it's a group of announcements that our state has has ever seen. Bowling
50:25Green is growing like crazy. We're really proud of you, and we want to be
50:28a good state partner. All right. And Sydney ST Clair from WTVQ.
50:38Hi, Governor. Um, so, you know, there's been some discussion about you maybe
50:41entering into a cabinet position. Um, if that were to happen, would there be a
50:47special election for governor, even though lieutenant governor would be the
50:50interim governor?
50:52Well, I haven't heard anything about that. Um, and, you know, I don't have
50:56any thoughts on on that. I love being governor. Um, that would be a hard sell
51:01on me. Um, yes, ma'am.
51:05K. Y. T. Okay. Hey, Jessica.
51:10We've seen a lot of lawmakers, particularly swing states, make their
51:13pieces on national television. They put a lot more electoral in play.
51:19So, you know, you say you want to do everything for a commoners win. Kentucky
51:23is a long shot. Why is it important for you specifically make your presence
51:29known on this national platform?
51:32Well, I want to do everything I can to support the vice president, her election
51:36for president. And part of that is speaking to the people of the United
51:41States of America. Now we've had an ability here in Kentucky to cross the
51:44aisle. It's about talking to people and not talking at them. It's about
51:50being focused on the things they care about the most. That's not the issue of
51:52the day in D. C. Again, that's that's jobs and public safety, infrastructure,
51:57public education and health care. It's about showing up in times of great
52:03difficulty and then sharing your why.
52:06You know, the nicest thing people say to me isn't I agree with everything that
52:09that you're doing, though. That's pretty nice to hear. It's that I don't
52:12always agree with you, but I know you're doing what you think is right.
52:15I talk about my faith because it's important to me. It's part of who I am,
52:20but it also helps people to understand my decisions. You know, when I vetoed
52:24the nastiest LBGTQ, uh, bill, I did an election year. I knew they'd use it
52:31against me, but I believe every child is a child of God. And I believe that
52:35those Children needed somebody standing up for them in Frankfurt, that they
52:39needed to know that someone in their government really cares about them. You
52:44know, I think I'm a person that that when when you hear him talk to you
52:49instead of at you, you recognize that I want to listen to you. And my entire
52:54goal in this thing is to better your lives that that opens people up and
52:58allows them to maybe think differently or or even potentially vote differently.
53:04Uh, okay. I think that is all of our questions. Um, folks, I've been a person
53:10that that when, uh, sometimes I've I've gone over the line, I've wanted to make
53:15sure that, um, that I set the record straight. So, um, I do owe an apology
53:23to diet Mountain Dew.
53:25Mhm.
53:27L. 81 is definitely the soft drink of Kentucky. But I don't believe that
53:33government should be making your decisions. So if you enjoy diet
53:37Mountain Dew, uh, you be you. We want to support you. Uh, and, um, to diet
53:43Mountain Dew. Very sorry. Didn't mean to say negative things about you. Just
53:48remember, I am from here, just like everybody else that's speaking out.
53:52Thank you all very much.
53:55Okay.