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Kentucky Senate

Four Kentucky Senate districts cover the northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell and Kenton. Three of these seats are up for re-election in 2020, and all three races are contested.

Northern Kentucky Senate Races

11 –Democrat James Fiorelli is challenging Republican incumbent John Schickel 17 –Democrat Jason Stroude is challenging Republican incumbent Damon Thayer 23 –Democrat Ryan Olexia is challenging Republican incumbent Christian McDaniel

Kentucky Senate – District 11

In Senate District 11, Democrat James Fiorelli is challenging Republican incumbent John Schickel. Thanks to Fiorelli for responding to KFTC’s candidate survey.

James Fiorelli

www.jimky2020.com

www.facebook.com/ JAFiorelli

What’s your vision for Kentucky? How will the lives of Kentuckians be improved as a result of your time in office? What legislative committees will you request to serve on once elected?

Boone County

James Fiorelli: I want a Kentucky that prioritizes the health, education, nutrition, and safety of its children. One where abuse in eliminated, bodies and strong and healthy, education is the envy of the nation, and ideas flow faster than our ability to catalog them.

I want a Kentucky that has returned to solvency. One that has no need to rob from surpluses, or sweep funds from their intended use, one where pensions offer long-term stability, and where voting is broad and painless.

I want a Kentucky that looks toward the future with agritech initiatives, with strides in renewable energy, with a passion for clean water and clean air.

I want a Kentucky whose citizens can get their medical needs addressed without going bankrupt, where drugs are affordable, where mutual respect is universal, where people who need a break can count on one.

This is where I will place my efforts to improve the lives of the people.

Committees? Education, Health and Welfare, Natural Resources and Energy, Appropriations & Revenue Sub On Economic Development, Tourism, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Kentucky Senate – District 11

Even after Governor Beshear’s December 2019 executive order that restored voting rights to 152,000 Kentuckians with felonies in their past, over 170,000 Kentuckians are still ineligible to vote. Do you support a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to all Kentuckians with felonies in their past once they’ve served their time, probation, and parole? Why or why not?

James Fiorelli: I will support Governor Beshear’s initiatives to restore vot ing rights to all Kentuckians who have paid their debt with time served, probation and parole. Anything less is archaic and inconsistent with other situations where “completed” means “completed.” I would also support a commensurate constitutional amendment.

When one submits the final mortgage payment, the debt is retired and the home is owned. When one finishes the project, one can move on to something else. Inability to vote resulting from a felony is the only debt that goes unpaid in perpetuity.

Also, in the answer to No. 8 on incarceration, I present thoughts on criminal justice reform and why a felony need not be charged in the first place.

John Schickel: did not respond.

During the 2020 primary, Kentuckians voted in record numbers as a result of mail-in absentee voting and early voting. But we can improve on what we learned in the primary and make voting more accessible for all Kentuckians. What is your view on modernizing state election laws? Specifically, do you support allowing early voting, mail-in ballots, same-day voter registration, extended hours at polling locations, offer ing ballots in multiple languages, and other election reforms? Would you uphold or work to repeal Senate Bill 2, which makes it harder for voters who don’t have particular kinds of photo ID to vote, knowing that many Kentuckians do not have – and face barriers to obtaining – those forms of ID?

James Fiorelli: I will do in my power to extend voting rights to all eligible voters, with the exception, below.

I will work to expand vote-by-mail. Five states already have it. I will also support many of the initiatives you’ve cited… early voting, extended hours, ballots in additional languages as needed. I will also vote to repeal SB2, which is an unabashed attempt to disenfranchise. I will also work to bring to polls to the people.

During GOTV, I will work to eliminate hundreds trips for the sick and Boone County

the elderly by bringing election officials to nursing homes and adult centers prior to Election Day, so residents may cast their votes, quickly and in comfort. I will do the same on college campuses where, even if our youth study hundreds of miles from home, they’ll still be able to vote without having to re-register in their college town.

My one caveat is same-day registration. I feel would be a problematic and cause angst for both the voter and the poll worker. If I were to cite one area for potential voter fraud, this would be it.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Even before COVID, Kentucky’s tax code did not raise enough revenue to meet the Commonwealth’s needs. We’ve reached dangerous levels of disinvestment in pensions, public education, infrastructure, and other essential programs. While there may be federal aid to buffer some of those impacts, we still need our own sustainable, long-term revenue solutions. What would you do to create a more equitable state tax structure – where everyone pays their fair share – that raises adequate revenue, fights poverty, and invests in Kentucky’s under-resourced communities and the services we all need?

James Fiorelli: We must acknowledge that we are in a fiscal mess. COVID has created unprecedented costs that remain unknown in duration and magnitude. Add to that reduced sales, gas, and income taxes, and balloon ing costs of the social safety net.

Recently, the Governor said he’s looking at 29% in budget cuts. Sena tor McDaniel says it will be less, but it’s unknown at this stage.

Pensions? We can’t legally or morally break promises made to teachers and state employees. We must meet our obligations, with possibly a different set of rules for new employees.

Also, we cannot solve budget problems with additional taxes on the backs of hardworking Kentuckians. I support tax increases on the items that have a negative health impact – cigarettes and vaping products, and high sugar drinks - but no others.

We can generate revenue by legalizing medical marijuana and through expanded gaming – sports betting, fantasy sports, and casinos. We can tax corporate loopholes, tax luxury items like private jets and yachts. We can create a new set of tax rules for those large companies who fail to pay their workers a living wage.

Bail and prison reforms can also have a dramatic cost-savings impact.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Get involved with KFTC to help turn out the vote in November, and to continue working year round to improve life for everyone in Northern Kentucky.

Join our Northern Kentucky chapter facebook.com/NKY.KFTC/ Joe@kftc.org • (859) 380-6103

Kentucky Senate – District 11

Many undocumented and mixed immigration status families here in Kentucky do not have access to government aid, stimulus payments, and other resources offered during this pandemic, while they’re simul taneously more likely to be essential workers and are at the highest risk for COVID-19 infection. What would you do to expand support and resources to Kentucky’s immigrant families, undocumented or otherwise, in the time of a global pandemic and beyond?

James Fiorelli: It’s a tough issue for a Kentucky candidate, as immigration is a federal matter. Minimally, we badly need comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level to replace laws that are 40 to 100 years old. It must necessarily include a revised policy on asylum, set up for refugees suf fering political or religious persecution.

The 100,000 who arrive monthly at our borders flee poverty, jobless ness and crime. If that were the standard, 2 billion worldwide, would be eligible if they made it to the border. All the more reason federal law needs to change, while at the same time, we work to fix systemic Central-Ameri can problems.

On the personal level, who do I want as neighbors and fellow citizens? Hard-working people, with good attitudes, full of optimism, who value the blessings and opportunities our nation offers. That’s already here in mixed immigration families. Those currently covered by DACA number 650,000 with an estimated 650,000 more who are eligible. What is our response to those young men and women whose parents are undocumented but have likely lived here as productive citizens for 5 or 10 or 20 years? Times have changed and immigration reform has to address these multi-generational families.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Is acting to address the climate crisis a priority for you? What policies do you support to ensure that solutions – such as clean energy jobs and reducing high energy bills – benefit all Kentuckians, including low-in come communities, communities of color, and those who are most impacted by the changing climate? And what policies would you support to ensure that all Kentuckians have clean air and water, no matter the color of our skin, income, or zip code?

James Fiorelli: I have two STEM degrees, a BS in Chem E, an MS in Sta tistics. I know science and I know numbers. The trends are undeniable. Not only is climate change a priority, clean aquifers, the troposphere, plastics in the ocean, microplastics in human placentas and a host of other issues are as well. I am well-versed in many of them.

For better understanding on how I feel about science in general, please Boone County

read an oped I wrote “In Defense of Science” published in the Boone Re corder last year.

I am a proponent of renewables not only due to carbon issues, but because jobs in wind and solar are growing 6X faster than other industries. Coal had its day, but like the landline phone and the encyclopedia, its days are numbered. We can slow the decline since many still depend on coal employment, but neither I nor anyone else can stop it.

If elected, I will work to reverse the damage to air, water and green space by Scott Pruitt. I’ll support the Governor’s initiative in agritech. I will work to retool Eastern Kentucky with training in tech fields, and try to bring tech employers to both rural and urban Kentucky.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Kentuckians from across the state are coming together to say Black Lives Matter and to demand that all Kentuckians can move through our communities without fearing for our lives or our loved ones. What is the role of the Kentucky legislature in opposing white supremacy, addressing racial inequality and supporting racial justice for Black people, Indigenous people, and all people of color in our state? Please identify at least two policy initiatives you would propose while in office to address racial and systemic inequalities.

James Fiorelli: First, I generally support the police. Their jobs are tough. But, does racism exist in the PD? I think, yes.

So, initiatives? For starters, if elected, I will support psychological tests and interviews for all officers, and those found lacking should be weeded out. In Boone County, officers must requalify with firearms every quarter. I would support quarterly training in various matters of social relevance to prevent another George Floyd. Sustained training is the key. Education is always the key.

In Black communities, I would support reparations but not in the form of a check placed in the hands of an individual.

I would support low-interest loans to create minority-owned busi nesses, and provide help to successfully get them off the ground. I would ensure that the education made available to minority youth matches that of affluent youth. I would work to create a Frankfort + Business Community Fund that would match, dollar-for-dollar, the college savings earned by a student that they (themselves) placed in their own 529 account, to build savings and provide them with the hope that a college degree is attainable regardless of family income.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Kentucky Senate – District 11

Kentucky has the ninth highest incarceration rate in the nation, is second for incarcerating women, and has the second-highest rate of children separated from a parent due to incarceration. In addition, Black Kentuckians face disproportionate arrest, conviction, and incarceration, and a heightened risk of police brutality. And people in many parts of our state face racial profiling, intimidation and unjust detainment and detention by federal and local authorities due to immigration status or perceived status. Many Kentuckians are calling for various measures to stem the tide of racialized criminalization, police brutal ity, mass incarceration, and detention and deportation – from police reform, to increased community investment, to a complete defunding and abolition of the police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If elected, what will you do to make strides toward ending mass incarceration in Kentucky and reinvesting resources into the communities most impacted by this system?

James Fiorelli: I see the two components to the question as mutually ex clusive. There should be investment in undervalued communities regardless of conditions governing incarceration.

On the latter, to reduce rates of incarceration, I would - Propose a review of KY’s mandatory minimum laws, which require 85% of a sentence to be served prior to release. Drop it to 50% with consideration for a maximum time served. - Propose a review of Class D felonies. Move some to a Class A misdemeanor. For example, license plate theft is currently a felony. That would remove the “convicted felon” stigma and related impediments. - Support the Governor’s initiatives regarding record expungement. - Raise the felony theft threshold to something greater than it is today… say, $1,000. Maybe $2,000. - Do the same for Welfare Fraud, which, at present, becomes a felony at $100.

One the latter issue of investing in undervalued communities, I would first work to ensure educational equity regardless of neighborhood, zip code, etc. I would create a program to impress upon all parents the value of education. In some communities, lack of educational engagement is generational. I would also make low-interest loans available to minority businesses and minority entrepreneurs.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Do you support a statewide Fairness law to protect LGBTQ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer) from discrim ination in housing, employment, financial transactions, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Do you support a statewide ban on the practice of LGBTQ conversion therapy, which would protect Kentucky youth from a harmful and medically discredited practice?

Boone County

James Fiorelli: No person, regardless of religious affiliation, national ori gin, sex or sexual orientation, minority status, etc., should be subjected to discrimination in any way, shape or form. Opportunities for home or business ownership, for job promotion, the right to legally wed and grow old with a loving spouse, must be available to all. That is what I have supported as a private citizen, and that is what I will continue to support with your help if elected.

And on a more basic level, no person should be subjected to public humiliation, castigated for the inability to speak perfect English, or the way they walk or talk or dress. That’s how I feel as a husband and father.

Conversion Therapy is a draconian attempt by the cruel and uninformed to place their values and impose their will on persons who simply wish to live unimpeded. It is an ignorant practice. People don’t require any conversion. They are fine the way they are. Yes, I would support a statewide ban.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Nearly 400,000 low-income Kentuckians qualified for health care – including vision, dental and mental health – for the first time under the Affordable Care Act. But major challenges remain, and many are exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. What would you do to make sure Kentuckians can get and stay healthy? What are your health-related legislative priorities?

James Fiorelli: As a state, we rank horribly in obesity, heart disease, in almost every form of cancer, in smoking for both adults and youth, in diabetes, in matters of mental health. We are simply not a healthy state and many of the problems are due to personal choices made every day. Again, education is the key for many, but not all of the above.

Now, the ACA was a good start, but we are nowhere near the finish line. We need easy access and easy entry, help lines that are fully staffed and efficient and, above all, responsive. And an ombudsman network that will assist the patient who is confused or has reached an impasse.

I would also work with the party to replace members of congress who feel that the health of Americans is a back-burner issue. I would up the cigarette tax. Here’s its $1.10 a pack; the national average is $1.79. I’d con sider taxing soft drinks. Many states have taken steps to curb prescription drug costs. I will look for best practices and bring them home. I will push for doctors and hospitals to post their rates. If there’s a billing discrepancy, I’ll find out why.

John Schickel: did not respond.

Kentucky Senate – District 17

In Senate District 17, Democrat Jason Stroude is challenging Republican incumbent Damon Thayer. Thanks to Stroude for responding to KFTC’s candidate survey.

Jason Stroude

www.strouded17.com

www.facebook.com/ StroudeD17

What’s your vision for Kentucky? How will the lives of Kentuckians be improved as a result of your time in office? What legislative committees will you request to serve on once elected?

Jason Stroude: I envision a Kentucky where every citizen has an equal opportunity to thrive. It is important to me that we enact legislation that helps to break the cycle of generational poverty that affects far too many in our state. The lives of Kentuckians will be improved as a result of me taking office as the next state senator for District 17 because my focus and fight are centered on the things that most impact the daily lives of the majority of people, and I will always place the basic needs of Kentucky’s citizens first.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Even after Governor Beshear’s December 2019 executive order that restored voting rights to 152,000 Kentuckians with felonies in their past, over 170,000 Kentuckians are still ineligible to vote. Do you support a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to all Kentuckians with felonies in their past once they’ve served their time, probation, and parole? Why or why not?

Jason Stroude: Yes, I do support an amendment automatically restoring voting rights to all Kentuckians with felonies in their past who have served their requisite sentences. By not restoring voting rights for these individuals, we are telling them that they are no longer a full citizen worthy of taking part in society, yet we expect them to return to society as law-abiding, productive members. How can you do that when you are also being told you aren’t a full citizen? It’s a continued punishment and mixed message that shouldn’t exist.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

During the 2020 primary, Kentuckians voted in record numbers as a result of mail-in absentee voting and early voting. But we can improve on

Grant, Scott and Kenton counties

what we learned in the primary and make voting more accessible for all Kentuckians. What is your view on modernizing state election laws? Specifically, do you support allowing early voting, mail-in ballots, same-day voter registration, extended hours at polling locations, offering ballots in multiple languages, and other election reforms? Would you uphold or work to repeal Senate Bill 2, which makes it harder for voters who don’t have particular kinds of photo ID to vote, knowing that many Kentuckians do not have – and face barriers to obtaining – those forms of ID?

Jason Stroude: I support any and all legislation that makes it easier for every citizen to participate in our political process. The limitations placed on poor, working-class folks are a deliberate attempt to exclude certain segments of our population from acting on their basic rights as citizens of this country. I would vote to repeal Senate Bill 2.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Even before COVID, Kentucky’s tax code did not raise enough revenue to meet the Commonwealth’s needs. We’ve reached dangerous levels of disinvestment in pensions, public education, infrastructure, and other essential programs. While there may be federal aid to buffer some of those impacts, we still need our own sustainable, long-term revenue solutions. What would you do to create a more equitable state tax structure – where everyone pays their fair share – that raises adequate revenue, fights poverty, and invests in Kentucky’s under-resourced communities and the services we all need?

Jason Stroude: I would actively reach out to legislators and community leaders across the state who recognize that we need a progressive tax structure that does not continue to place the majority of the responsibility of our economy on the backs of working-class families. Both KFTC and KCEP have laid out a more appropriate and reasonable tax structure that I would fully support.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Many undocumented and mixed immigration status families here in Kentucky do not have access to government aid, stimulus payments, and other resources offered during this pandemic, while they’re simultaneously more likely to be essential workers and are at the highest risk for COVID-19 infection. What would you do to expand support and resources to Kentucky’s immigrant families, undocumented or otherwise, in the time of a global pandemic and beyond?

Jason Stroude: Above and beyond immigration status, we are all human beings deserving of basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. On the Statue of Liberty, it states “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send … answers continued on next page

Kentucky Senate – District 17

these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Honestly, it is a moral obligation to take care of our fellow human beings. I would actively seek out individuals and organizations working to help these families to complete the paperwork to start them on the path to citizenship and receiving the assistance they need and add my name as a sponsor on any legislation that would seek to achieve these goals.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Is acting to address the climate crisis a priority for you? What policies do you support to ensure that solutions – such as clean energy jobs and reducing high energy bills – benefit all Kentuckians, including low-income communities, communities of color, and those who are most impacted by the changing climate? And what policies would you support to ensure that all Kentuckians have clean air and water, no matter the color of our skin, income, or zip code?

Jason Stroude: Yes. I believe we must invest in our future and those of our children and future generations by expanding our use of renewable energy. Bills from ky ga20 like HB 126, an energy affordability bill; and HB 323, a bill to reverse some of the damage from last year’s anti-solar bill are a good start, but we need to be more successful in our endeavors to ensure access to the entire Commonwealth, regardless of zip code to alternative sources like solar, wind, and other sources. Tax incentives for both businesses and home and property owners are a good place to start. Apartments and other rental properties should also be included.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Kentuckians from across the state are coming together to say Black Lives Matter and to demand that all Kentuckians can move through our communities without fearing for our lives or our loved ones. What is the role of the Kentucky legislature in opposing white supremacy, addressing racial inequality and supporting racial justice for Black people, Indigenous people, and all people of color in our state? Please identify at least two policy initiatives you would propose while in office to address racial and systemic inequalities.

Jason Stroude: 1) We need to de-militarize our police forces. This means withholding funds for the weapons and vehicles that fall in this category and use the money saved to provide mandatory more comprehensive training for officers to take place within the communities they will serve. 2) We need mandatory training for teachers in our schools on the issues of racial and systemic inequalities that they will face in the communities that they will be teaching in.They don’t need just a history, they need resources to help them provide the best education they can to the students directly impacted by their presence in the classroom. Grant, Scott and Kenton counties

Kentucky has the ninth highest incarceration rate in the nation, is second for incarcerating women, and has the second-highest rate of children separated from a parent due to incarceration. In addition, Black Kentuckians face disproportionate arrest, conviction, and incarceration, and a heightened risk of police brutality. And people in many parts of our state face racial profiling, intimidation and unjust detainment and detention by federal and local authorities due to immigration status or perceived status. Many Kentuckians are calling for various measures to stem the tide of racialized criminalization, police brutality, mass incarceration, and detention and deportation – from police reform, to increased community investment, to a complete defunding and abolition of the police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If elected, what will you do to make strides toward ending mass incarceration in Kentucky and reinvesting resources into the communities most impacted by this system?

Jason Stroude: I believe we need to eliminate for-profit prisons in Kentucky. We need to end the cash bail system. We need to provide more follow-up services after incarceration to make sure that people have everything they need to truly get back on their feet and become productive members of society.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Do you support a statewide Fairness law to protect LGBTQ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer) from discrimination in housing, employment, financial transactions, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Do you support a statewide ban on the practice of LGBTQ conversion therapy, which would protect Kentucky youth from a harmful and medically discredited practice?

Jason Stroude: Yes, I support both.

Damon Thayer: did not respond.

Nearly 400,000 low-income Kentuckians qualified for health care – including vision, dental and mental health – for the first time under the Affordable Care Act. But major challenges remain, and many are exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. What would you do to make sure Kentuckians can get and stay healthy? What are your health-related legislative priorities?

Jason Stroude: Making sure that every Kentucky citizen has access to affordable health care is one of my top 3 priorities. I believe we need to do everything we can to make sure that our community-based hospitals and clinics stay open. It is my goal that no Kentuckian has to drive an hour or more to reach a healthcare facility.