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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • MBA, Murray State University, 1984
  • BS, Business Administration, Murray State University, 1981
  • AA, General Education, Paducah Community College, 1980

Professional Experience

  • MBA, Murray State University, 1984
  • BS, Business Administration, Murray State University, 1981
  • AA, General Education, Paducah Community College, 1980
  • Professor, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 1990-present
  • Part-Time Realtor, Century 21 Service Realty, 1999-2007
  • Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1990-2004
  • Chief Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1985-1990

Political Experience

  • MBA, Murray State University, 1984
  • BS, Business Administration, Murray State University, 1981
  • AA, General Education, Paducah Community College, 1980
  • Professor, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 1990-present
  • Part-Time Realtor, Century 21 Service Realty, 1999-2007
  • Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1990-2004
  • Chief Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1985-1990
  • Representative, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives, District 3, 2012-2019
  • Councilman, Reidland High School Site Based Decision Making Council, 2010-2011
  • City Commissioner, City of Paducah, 2006-2010
  • Candidate, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives, District 4, 1992, 1998
  • State Treasurer, Kentucky Young Democrats, 1988-1989
  • County Chairman, McCracken County Young Democrats, 1984-1988

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Vice Chair, Education Committee, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Interim Joint Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Interim Joint Committee on Education, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Judiciary Committee, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Special Subcommittee on Energy, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Former Member, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives

Board Member, Advisory Council, 21st Century Community Learning Center, Reidland High School, 2011-2012

Board Member, Brooks Stadium Commission, 2008-2012

Board Member, Community Scholarship Board, 2011-2012

Board Member, McCracken County Poverty Task Force, 2011-2012

Board Member, Paduch/McCracken County Joint Sewer Agency, 2008-2012

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • MBA, Murray State University, 1984
  • BS, Business Administration, Murray State University, 1981
  • AA, General Education, Paducah Community College, 1980
  • Professor, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, 1990-present
  • Part-Time Realtor, Century 21 Service Realty, 1999-2007
  • Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1990-2004
  • Chief Instructor, Watkins Karate, 1985-1990
  • Representative, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives, District 3, 2012-2019
  • Councilman, Reidland High School Site Based Decision Making Council, 2010-2011
  • City Commissioner, City of Paducah, 2006-2010
  • Candidate, Commonwealth of Kentucky House of Representatives, District 4, 1992, 1998
  • State Treasurer, Kentucky Young Democrats, 1988-1989
  • County Chairman, McCracken County Young Democrats, 1984-1988
  • Member, Gideon's International, 2000-present
  • Member, Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, 1990-present
  • Member, Paducah Downtown Lions Club, 1990-present
  • Member, Board of Directors, River City Missions, present
  • Former Member, First Baptist Church of Paducah, present
  • Member, Leadership Paducah Alumni Association, present
  • Member, Southland Baptist Temple, present
  • Volunteer, United Way, present
  • Former Member, Advisory Board, Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club
  • Volunteer, American Heart Fund
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Southland Baptist Temple
  • County Chair, Cystic Fibrosis Shape-UP Campaign
  • PAVE Volunteer, Paducah Public School System
  • Volunteer, Purchase Area Sexual Assault Center
  • Former Sunday School Temple, Southland Baptist Temple
  • Kentucky Colonel, The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels

Other Info

— Awards:

  • Teacher of the Year, Four Times.

Policy Positions

Kentucky State Legislative Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- I am Pro-Life. I do think we need to look at ways to make adoption easier and to provide financial incentives to encourage the individual to carry the baby to birth and put the child up for adoption instead of aborting the child.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

Budget Stabilization:

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Kentucky's budget.

1. Tapping into Kentucky's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Decreasing funding for public universities
- No

3. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions
- No

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No

5. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- We need to revise the Kentucky Tax Code to make it more business friendly and that would encourage more investment in new plant and equipment to create more jobs that would generate more revenue. We need a tax code that allows revenue growth as the economy grows.

State Spending:

Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.

1. Education (higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Status

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Greatly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes:

Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Small business taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gas/Oil taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

9. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

10. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Maintain Status

11. Do you support applying sales taxes to all online purchases?
- No

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- No

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. g Do you support additional funding for programs intended to reduce drug addiction in Kentucky?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- I support the legalization of medicinal marijuana. I oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

5. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- Yes

7. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

8. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

9. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage?
- Yes

10. Should employers be able to ask about applicants' criminal history before interviewing them?
- Yes

11. Would you support the enactment of statewide 'Right to Work' legislation?
- No

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- No Answer

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- No Answer

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- No Answer

5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No Answer

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- No Answer

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Kentucky high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No Answer

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No Answer

3. Do you support state funding for improvements to Kentucky's energy infrastructure?
- No Answer

4. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No Answer

5. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No Answer

6. Do you support increased regulations of the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No Answer

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No Answer

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No Answer

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No Answer

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- No Answer

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No Answer

4. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No Answer

5. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No Answer

6. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- No Answer

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- No Answer

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer

State Bills