Governor Bevin Honors Former Senator Leeper

McCracken County Judge Executive Bob Leeper was honored Wednesday with the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 11, otherwise known as the Leeper Act.

The legislation, which lifts the state's 33-year-old moratorium on nuclear power plant construction, was signed by Governor Matt Bevin in a ceremony at the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce building. Bevin was flanked by Judge Executive Leeper, Senator Danny Carroll, and members of the Kentucky Senate leadership.

Senator Carroll was elected to take Leeper's seat in the Senate after his retirement in 2014. Leeper was the driving force behind the legislation for many years but was never able to see it get through the House. A bipartisan effort, lead by Senator Carroll in the Senate and Representatives Steven Rudy and Gerald Watkins, helped usher the bill through both the House and the Senate in March of this year.

Carroll said that the bill would have a major impact on both the state and the region allowing Kentucky to attract business and industry to the state because of inexpensive energy costs.

Governor Bevin said that signing the bill was an easy choice to make. "This was the right thing to do for this community. This was the right thing to do for Kentucky. This was the right thing to do for America."