Legislative priorities and a budget discussed at Paducah Chamber

The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce hosted local legislators to discuss priorities and preview January’s General Assembly session on Tuesday.

The Chamber played host to State Senator Danny Carroll, along with Representatives Steven Rudy, Kim Holloway, Randy Bridges, and Chris Freeland. Each spoke about things on the agenda that are important to them and to our area. Two of the largest Chamber priorities continue to be the reindustrialization of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site and the development of Riverport West near the Triple Rail site, all of which are clustered in western McCracken County.

Other priorities for the Chamber include renovations at Brooks Stadium and the Columbia Theatre, as well as infrastructure projects related to Barkley Regional Airport, the Joint Sewer Agency, rail, and highway work. A new Judicial Center is on the wishlist, along with facade improvements at the National Quilt Museum, and funding to assist in the construction of an emergency shelter through the Paducah Cooperative Ministry.

Funding for all those projects and those on wishlists from constituents around the state will not all fit in Kentucky’s budget. Rudy, the House Majority Floor Leader, will have a hand in making decisions about what gets in and what does not. He believes the Legislature needs to handle tax dollars the way Kentucky families budget, beginning with the “big picture” and what benefits all of Kentucky, not just a particular region.

Rudy said the old way of budgeting involved the leadership making most of the decisions and leaving scraps for the body. He said his philosophy is to look at a return on investment for all the taxpayers and make sure everybody has a shot at funding projects, and then if there is some left over for projects in Paducah, McCracken County, and the Jackson Purchase, one could bring that home.

The General Assembly reconvenes for the 90-day Budget Session on January 6th.