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Gov. Matt Bevin today granted pardons to 10 Kentuckians previously convicted through the Commonwealth’s justice system.
“This is the week that we as Americans set time aside to celebrate our nation’s independence and the blessings of individual liberty,” said Gov. Bevin. “It is an appropriate time to use the authority vested in my office to grant a fresh start at independence and liberty for several individuals who have lost both due to their previous criminal behavior.
“My office receives many requests for pardons. All of them are in the process of being carefully reviewed. After much deliberation, I believe that unique circumstances warrant executive action for these 10 men and women. There will be additional pardons granted, as warranted, in the months and years ahead.”
The power of governors to pardon is vested in Section 77 of the Kentucky Constitution.
Governors, for the most part, have historically waited until their final days in office to issue pardons—wanting to avoid potential political ramifications. Gov. Bevin, however, has demonstrated a consistent record of making decisions based upon what he believes is the right thing to do, regardless of politics.
The Bevin Administration has initiated groundbreaking criminal justice reform efforts aimed at removing barriers for offenders to successfully reenter society.
In 2016, Gov. Bevin signed into law historic felony expungement legislation that gives non-violent felony offenders who have paid their debt to society a second chance. House Bill 40 allows Kentuckians convicted of certain Class D felonies—who have paid their debt to society, have stayed out of trouble as required by the law, and have shown that they are indeed trying to get back on track—to erase their criminal records and obtain a second chance at jobs, housing, and other opportunities sometimes denied felons.
Also, this past February, Gov. Bevin issued an executive order that removes questions about criminal history from the initial application for state jobs in the executive branch. The Fair Chance Employment Initiative means that applicants will not be required to check the box for criminal convictions on the initial state application, a policy in line with twenty-four states and more than 150 cities and counties across the nation.
Pardon applications are sent directly to the Governor’s Office, along with a statement of the reasons for seeking relief and three letters of recommendation. An application form may be obtained by contacting the Governor’s Office at 502-564-2611.
The list of individuals pardoned can be accessed here.
Gov. Matt Bevin has issued an executive order expanding the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship to include Kentuckians who do not have a high school diploma but are working to achieve their GED concurrent with skills education.
“The central idea of the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship is to get thousands of adults to the first or second rung of a high demand career ladder,” said Education and Workforce Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner. “It’s extremely important that we remove as many barriers as possible to this process, and for thousands of Kentuckians, that barrier is not having a high school diploma.”
The Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program was designed to meet the increasing demand for skilled workers in five of Kentucky’s fastest-growing workforce industries:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Business and IT
- Construction Trades
- Healthcare
- Transportation and Logistics
The scholarship provides tuition for up to 32 credit hours for eligible Kentuckians who have not yet earned at least an associate’s degree and are seeking certificates or diplomas in one of these five industries.
Those wishing to pursue their career certification in tandem with obtaining a GED can do so through the Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky program offered through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
You can learn more about the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship through helpwantedky.com, including eligibility requirements, participating colleges and universities, and certificates and diplomas available in each of the five industries.
“Helpwantedky.com, as well as the Help Wanted Kentucky Facebook and Twitter pages are channels for adults in Kentucky, regardless of age, to learn about jobs that pay well and are in high demand,” said Heiner.
Gov. Matt Bevin today restored the right to vote and hold public office to 284 more prior offenders who have completed their respective sentences and have applied for restoration of their civil rights.
The orders are pending final background reviews by the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. They exclude individuals convicted of violent or sex crimes, bribery or treason.
“As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, it is fitting to reflect upon the many blessings that we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America,” said Gov. Bevin. “The opportunity for second chances and redemption has been a cornerstone principle of our great nation since its inception.
“The criminal justice system should not exist solely to punish offenders, but also to rehabilitate and assimilate them back into society. Through this executive action, we are empowering men and women with the opportunity to become contributing members of our communities. Restoring the voting rights of certain prior offenders who have paid their debt to society is a significant step towards achieving this goal. There will be many more such opportunities in the months and years ahead.”
A total of 308 Kentuckians have had their civil rights restored thus far, as the Bevin Administration continues to work through the backlog of applications it inherited in December 2015. Each individual application is carefully considered on a case-by-case basis.
While the orders restore the right to vote and hold public office, they do not restore any other civil right, including but not limited to the right to receive, possess or transport in commerce a firearm or serve on a jury.
The Bevin Administration has initiated groundbreaking criminal justice reform efforts aimed at removing barriers for offenders to successfully reenter society.
In 2016, Gov. Bevin signed into law historic felony expungement legislation that gives non-violent felony offenders who have paid their debt to society a second chance. House Bill 40 allows Kentuckians convicted of certain Class D felonies—who have paid their debt to society, have stayed out of trouble as required by the law, and have shown that they are indeed trying to get back on track—to erase their criminal records and obtain a second chance at jobs, housing, and other opportunities sometimes denied felons.
Also, this past February, Gov. Bevin issued an executive order that removes questions about criminal history from the initial application for state jobs in the executive branch. The Fair Chance Employment Initiative means that applicants will not be required to check the box for criminal convictions on the initial state application, a policy in line with twenty-four states and more than 150 cities and counties across the nation.
Individuals who are interested in applying for restoration of their civil rights may do so by obtaining a form at any Probation and Parole office, or by contacting the Department of Corrections at 502-782-2248 or online at corrections.ky.gov, and returning the form to the address listed.
A spreadsheet listing all Kentuckians who have had their civil rights restored during the Bevin Administration can be downloaded here.
Gov. Matt Bevin and Kentucky Labor Sec. Derrick Ramsey today filed a motion to dismiss the purely political, frivolous lawsuit brought by the AFL-CIO and Teamsters challenging Kentucky’s Right-to-Work Act. This lawsuit threatens to hurt Kentucky’s families, robbing them of high-paying job opportunities. The historic new law protects employees in the Commonwealth from being forced to pay union dues in order to keep their jobs.
“Companies like Braidy Industries made it clear from the beginning that right-to-work laws are a major factor in deciding to locate to Kentucky,” said Amanda Stamper, Communications Director. “What purpose does this lawsuit serve, except to hurt working families that are depending on these jobs? This ridiculous legal action by the AFL-CIO and Teamsters will not quell the momentum building across the state. Kentucky is winning, and this will not slow us down.”
In the motion, Gov. Bevin and Sec. Ramsey fight to protect employees from being forced to pay their hard-earned money to unions. Exactly 70 years ago today, with the enactment of the Taft-Hartley Act, Congress authorized states to enact Right-to-Work laws and Kentucky’s decision to do so is a constitutional exercise of the state’s authority.
The legislature’s adoption of Right-to-Work and other pro-growth policies has already borne fruit in the form of $6.7 billion in new investments and the promise of thousands of new jobs in the Commonwealth in just the first six months of the year, including a $1.3 billion investment in the Ashland area that will create hundreds of high-paying jobs.
The majority of Kentucky’s border states—Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia—have also enacted right-to-work legislation.
Studies examining Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data show that right-to-work states report faster per capita income growth, greater capital expenditures, lower unemployment, fewer work stoppages and faster growth in manufacturing and non-agricultural jobs than non-right-to-work states.
Contrary to critics who claim that right-to-work protections eliminate opportunities to affiliate with a union, 2015 BLS data also shows that union membership in right-to-work states actually grew more quickly than in non-right-to-work states.
Click here for copy of motion to dismiss.
Photo: Kentucky Cabinet For Economic Development
Gov. Matt Bevin, Cabinet for Economic Development Sec. Terry Gill, other state officials and business representatives will attend the 52nd International Paris Air Show in France this week to discuss new business and expansion opportunities with aviation and aerospace executives from around the globe.
“Kentucky is a top location in the U.S. for aviation and aerospace engineering, manufacturing and R&D. We offer formidable advanced-manufacturing resources and experience, plus workforce programs that set the bar nationally, logistics hubs that deliver products nearly anywhere globally overnight, and a network of available sites and buildings in attractive communities,” Gov. Bevin said. “Meetings we have scheduled with corporate executives during the Paris Air Show will give us the opportunity to demonstrate how Kentucky meets their needs and provides the environment for long-term success.”
First held in 1909, the Paris Air Show is the world’s largest aerospace event. It brings together key players in the aerospace industry to pursue business deals, showcase technology and develop industrial partnerships.
“Aerospace has been one of the fastest growing industries in Kentucky for several years now, and it is important we use every opportunity to build upon that success,” Sec. Gill said. “The Paris Air Show provides the greatest opportunity to do just that. The ability to meet in person with aerospace executives from around the world and discuss Kentucky’s many advantages will go a long way toward developing new relationships and strengthening those we have already established.”
Across Kentucky, the aerospace industry is on the rise.
Through May 2017, Kentucky announced more than $1.3 billion in investment by aerospace-related companies. Projects include the nation’s first aluminum rolling mill built on a greenfield site in more than a generation. The Braidy Industries mill, expected to open in 2020, will produce high-strength aluminum alloy sheet for the aviation and aerospace industry as well as other sectors. The investments are expected to create nearly 600 full-time jobs.
Already, the aviation and aerospace sector is a pillar of Kentucky’s economy. It employs nearly 17,000 people statewide at almost 80 different manufacturing, service and technology-related facilities. Advanced manufacturers of carbon brakes, jet engines and turbines, cockpit avionics, wiring and control systems, micro satellites, software development, data analytics, advanced materials R&D, micro-gravity research services, industry logistics and support services and missile defense system manufacturing and overhauling.
Aerospace products and parts continue to be Kentucky’s top export category, with more than $10.8 billion in products shipped abroad in 2016. Nearly $2.9 billion in aerospace products were exported from the commonwealth in the first quarter of 2017, a 9.4-percent increase over the same months a year ago.
To learn more about Kentucky’s aerospace industry, visit http://thinkkentucky.com/Aerospace/.
This year’s Paris Air Show will include more than 2,300 exhibitors with more than 130 aircraft scheduled to be on display.
In 2015, the air show shattered its previous attendance records with more than 350,000 visitors, including more than 4,300 journalists from 72 countries.
To learn more about the Paris Air Show, visit www.siae.fr/en/.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.
Photo: Kentucky Cabinet For Economic Development
Gov. Matt Bevin, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development leaders Sec. Terry Gill and Executive Officer Vivek Sarin, and officials from KentuckyUnited will attend the 2017 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington D.C. this week, engaging with executives from companies around the world and working to develop opportunities for investment and job creation in the state.
Gov. Bevin is scheduled to speak at the summit on Monday, reaffirming the state’s commitment to building a welcoming environment for global companies and discussing the state’s actions to do so. Attracting international investment creates news jobs for Kentuckians and positive economic impact for communities across the state.
“We’re making tremendous strides in growing Kentucky’s business community. Already this year, we shattered the commonwealth’s all-time, full-year corporate investment record. Companies the world over are discovering our many advantages, including a central geographic location, a robust logistics industry, a highly skilled workforce, low energy costs, excellence in engineering and manufacturing and our increasingly strong pro-business climate,” Gov. Bevin said. “Business expansion in Kentucky is on a roll and internationally owned companies – which already employ more than 105,000 Kentuckians – and domestic businesses alike, are taking notice.”
The three-day summit begins Sunday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. This year’s theme, “Grow with US,” will focus on the nation’s innovative business climate.
Terry Gill, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, said the theme reflects across Kentucky.
“Kentucky’s success in attracting new corporate investment this year puts us on track to create the highest number of new jobs in a decade,” he said. “We’re helping put in place innovative workforce-development programs that ensure our current and future corporate partners can hire the skilled employees they need. These efforts adjoin the many advantages our state already offers to internationally based businesses.”
Kentucky is home to nearly 500 internationally owned business facilities, including manufacturing plants, corporate offices, logistics providers, service-related companies and tech firms and research operations. This year through May, the state announced nearly $1.77 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), which is expected to create 2,160 jobs.
FDI accounts for about one-third of the record-breaking nearly $5.8 billion investment announced in Kentucky through May, as well as approximately 23 percent of the 9,500-plus jobs announced this year.
Hal B. Goode, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association for Economic Development, said the opportunities Kentucky offers for investment from international corporations will connect with the SelectUSA audience.
“Kentucky offers outstanding and enticing benefits for foreign direct investment and SelectUSA gives us and our partners in KentuckyUnited the venue to these opportunities to business influencers and decision makers from across the world,” Goode said. “In addition to the work by cities counties and communities across the commonwealth to prepare for economic development success, we will be promoting Kentucky’s recent policies and programs in workforce development and business-climate improvement.”
KentuckyUnited is a public-private partnership of state, local and regional economic development organizations, utilities and private corporations, formed to market Kentucky’s business advantages to site location consultants and companies interested in siting a new location, expansion or relocation.
SelectUSA, which promotes foreign direct investment in the US, will offer networking opportunities for state, regional and local economic development officials to make their pitch to global investors. Keynote speakers and exhibitors will be on hand to discuss various investment opportunities and to showcase how FDI is a driver of economic development throughout the nation.
In 2016, more than 2,500 people participated in the summit from 70 markets and 52 states and territories.
SelectUSA is the US Government-wide program that promotes and facilitates business investment in the US. The organization provides services to international investors of all sizes and US state, regional and economic development organizations working across the federal government.
To learn more about SelectUSA or the 2017 Investment Summit, visit www.selectusa.gov.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced the creation of the Kentucky Work Matters Task Force at a press conference with federal and state officials and other special guests in the State Capitol Rotunda.
The new 23-member task force will bring together every department of state government that has a hand in workforce development with members of the private sector. Their mission is to address barriers to employment and promote workforce inclusion among people with disabilities, foster children, disabled veterans, and individuals burdened by substance abuse or criminal records.
“There is dignity that comes from work, and there is a sense of satisfaction and respect—for oneself and for others—that comes from being an engaged part of the community,” said Gov. Bevin. “And there’s nothing more integral than the dignity associated with being part of the fabric of that community through work.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Sheehy of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy commended Kentucky, which is the first state in the nation to initiate such a task force.
“We realize that the real change and the real work does not happen at the federal level,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Sheehy. “We need to look at what federal policies do work, but also what is happening in states that works—and then support that.”
Gov. Bevin and Deputy Assistant Secretary Sheehy were joined at the press conference by Council of State Governments director/CEO David Adkins, Kentucky Labor Cabinet Secretary Derrick Ramsey, Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner, and Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development executive officer Vivek Sarin.
Also participating in today’s event were Little Caesars Pizza franchisee Mike Michalak, Cincinnati Reds batboy Teddy Kremer, and Spalding University men’s golf coaches Michael Carter and Grant Gupton, who underscored what can be achieved when individuals are given opportunities.
Current statistics show Kentucky’s labor participation rate at 54.7 percent, well below the national average of 62.9 percent. In addition, 15.7 percent of the Commonwealth’s population is classified as “disabled,” compared to only 10.4 percent nationally.
Gov. Bevin strongly believes that citizens with disabilities and Kentuckians facing other obstacles to employment have valuable and unique contributions to lend to our society and our labor force, yet in many cases are underutilized. Employment is the most direct and cost-effective means to empower these individuals to achieve independence, economic self-sufficiency, and a greater sense of dignity and self-worth.
The Kentucky Work Matters Task Force will work closely with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy and their State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED). SEED is a collaborative effort with state intermediary organizations, including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and The Council of State Governments (CSG), to help state leaders effectively address policy barriers that may hinder the employment of people with disabilities.
Members of the task force include:
- Adam Meier, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Bevin
- Secretary Scott Brinkman, Executive Cabinet
- Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson, Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Secretary John Tilley, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
- Secretary Derrick Ramsey, Labor Cabinet
- Secretary Hal Heiner, Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
- Secretary Tom Stephens, Personnel Cabinet
- Secretary Greg Thomas, Transportation Cabinet
- Vivek Sarin, Cabinet for Economic Development executive officer
- Deputy Commissioner Bryan Hubbard, Division of Income Support
- Buddy Hoskinson, Department for Aging and Independent Living
- Commissioner Beth Kuhn, Department of Workforce Investment
- Commissioner Stephen Pruitt, Department of Education
- President Bob King, Council on Postsecondary Education
- Senator John Schickel
- Senator Robin Webb
- Representative Jim DeCesare
- Representative Arnold Simpson
- Katie Shepherd, Kentucky Supreme Court designee
- Mike Michalak, citizen at-large (Shelbyville)
- Katie Wolf Whaley, citizen at-large (Lexington)
- Beth Davisson, citizen at-large (Louisville)
- Tim McGurk, citizen at-large (Prospect)
The group will present a final report that will include policy recommendations on improving workforce participation rates for individuals with disabilities, as well as other populations with impediments to employment, across the Commonwealth.
Today’s full press conference can be viewed on Gov. Bevin’s Facebook page, and an infographic detailing factors affecting Kentucky’s workforce can be downloaded here.
