May 16, 2024 10:49am
Greater Louisville Inc. Releases 2024 Legislative Outcomes Report
Louisville, Ky. (May 16, 2024)— Following the conclusion of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly, Greater Louisville Inc. released its annual Legislative Outcomes Report recapping significant wins and missed opportunities from the legislative session. The report also names 25 legislators as GLI’s Most Valued Policymakers (MVPs).
A major win during the 2024 budget session included the General Assembly allocating more than $436 million to Louisville-centric projects, such as downtown revitalization, support for the Louisville Orchestra, improvements to the Muhammad Ali International Airport, and funding for the University of Louisville. These investments were made possible through collaborative advocacy with many community partners and will enhance local amenities, improve the quality of life for residents, and attract new businesses and talent to the region.
“We are thrilled with the progress made this session, which enhances our business landscape and enriches our community. Moving forward, we remain committed to advocating for policies that will continue to position Greater Louisville as a top destination for business and talent,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc.
Much of the attention during the legislative session focused on workforce participation and population growth. GLI’s policy team worked closely with legislative leadership on the creation of the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force, a first step in studying and investing in statewide and local talent attraction efforts. GLI also advocated for several pieces of legislation to support families in the workforce including investments in child care programs and legislation to allow employers to offer paid family leave as a benefit.
The General Assembly also passed legislation to strengthen participation in Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention program and to make modifications to the Internal Revenue Code to simplify doing business in Kentucky.
Despite big wins for the region, several top GLI priorities were left on the table and will be pursued in coming legislative sessions including local tax reform, additional childcare funding, and failure to repeal the limited liability entity tax for businesses with gross receipts under $100,000.
GLI’s Legislative Outcomes Report also names this year’s MVPs, who voted with GLI priorities 100 percent of the time. The MVPs include:
- Representative Jared Bauman
- Representative Kevin D. Bratcher
- Representative Steve Bratcher
- Representative Emily Callaway
- Representative Ken Fleming
- Representative Peyton Griffee
- Representative Samara Heavrin
- Representative Thomas Huff
- Representative David Meade
- Representative Suzanne Miles
- Representative Jason Nemes
- Speaker of the House of Representatives David Osborne
- Representative Steven Rudy
- Representative James Tipton
- Representative Susan Witten
- Senator Julie Raque Adams
- Senator Matthew Deneen
- Senator David P. Givens
- Senator Jimmy Higdon
- Senator Stephen Meredith
- Senator Michael J. Nemes
- Senate President Robert Stivers
- Senator Damon Thayer
- Senator Lindsey Tichenor
- Senator Mike Wilson
“GLI’s advocacy efforts are essential in shaping our region and enhancing Greater Louisville’s appeal for economic and population growth,” said Les Fugate, chair of GLI’s Public Policy Council and vice president, director of state and local public affairs at Brown-Forman. “I commend GLI for its continued advocacy on behalf of the business community to tackle the most pressing issues facing our region.”
Click here to see the full, detailed report of legislative wins, missed opportunities, and a scorecard that shares how Greater Louisville legislators voted on crucial GLI priorities.