Working hard should be enough to build a decent life in Kentucky.
For too many families, it isn't.
I support expanding affordable childcare and early-childhood education, including greater access to programs for two- and three-year-olds, Head Start, First Steps, and other early-intervention services.
No Kentucky child should go hungry. I support expanding access to SNAP and WIC, universal school meals, stronger summer and school-break food programs, and partnerships among Kentucky farmers, schools, food banks, and community organizations.
We should tackle food deserts creatively through mobile food programs, local farm-to-table partnerships, community-based services, and better nutrition education.
But assistance programs cannot substitute for wages.
Kentucky needs more jobs that actually support families. When state and local governments provide incentives to attract employers, taxpayers should be able to expect something in return: good wages, safe workplaces, meaningful employment, and investment in the communities providing those incentives.
I support stronger worker protections, collective bargaining rights, responsible economic-development incentives, and policies that help Kentuckians keep more of what they earn.
