For Immediate Release: 

Friday, January 13, 2017

Contact: Jim Waters @ 859.444-5630 (office) 270.320.4376 (cell) 

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — Less than a week into this year’s legislative session, Kentucky’s representatives delivered an enormous win for open and transparent government. Backed by the support of an overwhelming bipartisan coalition, the state House of Representatives voted 95-1 to pass the Legislative Pension Transparency Bill (Senate Bill 3).

The bill gives voters access to details about their elected representatives’ pension plans, adding a crucial layer of accountability to a taxpayer-funded public-pension system taken advantage of in the past.

Spearheading the effort to pass this legislation was Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, the bill’s primary sponsor and public accountability advocate. For more than five years, Sen. McDaniel has worked tirelessly to make this reform a reality, despite being stymied year after year by obstructionists in the House.

“I am thankful that legislative pension transparency is, after more than five years of fighting, a reality in Kentucky,” concluded Sen. McDaniel. “The public deserves to know the potential financial motivations of those they elect and this law ensures that they will have that knowledge.”

This important reform would not have been possible without the support of the public servants who followed through on their commitments to making their own pension benefits open and accessible to those they serve.

“Thank you to all the signers of our Legislative Pension System Transparency Pledge from both sides of the political aisle who kept their word by voting for SB 3,” added Bluegrass Institute President Jim Waters. “Their commitment to transparency is an important step toward the kind of accountability needed to address a public-pension crisis which threatens Kentucky’s entire economy.”

Senate pledge signers who voted for SB 3:

Danny Carroll Stephen Meredith C.B. Embry, Jr Joe Bowen David P. Givens Jimmy Higdon Damon Thayer Larry West Tom Buford Chris McDaniel Ernie Harris Mike Wilson

 House pledge signers who voted for SB 3:

Steven Rudy Alan Gentry Richard Heath Ken Fleming James Tipton Lynn Bechler Daniel Elliott Kenny Imes Kim King Walker Thomas Joseph M. Fischer Dean Schamore David Osborne Sal Santoro Robert "Robby" Mills Brian Linder D. J. Johnson Phillip Pratt Melinda Gibbons Prunty Adam Koenig Tim Moore Michael Meredith Donna Mayfield Jody Richards Bart Rowland Mark Hart Steve Riley C. Wesley Morgan William Reed Robert J. Benvenuti III Jim DuPlessis Tim Couch Russell Webber Gary "Toby" Herald Phil Moffett John C. Blanton Jason Nemes Jerry T. Miller Larry D. Brown William Wells Danny R. Bentley Stan Lee Kevin D. Bratcher Diane St. Onge

For more information, please contact Jim Waters at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com, 859.444.5630 (office) or 270.320.4376 (cell).