06-27-06
Damron Named Guardian of Small Business
------------------------------------------------
REP. DAMRON KICKS OFF FALL
CAMPAIGN
Event brings
Campaign Funds to over $115,000 Raised
for 2006 Election Bid
NICHOLASVILLE, KY-- In front of 150 supporters State
Representative Bob Damron kicked off his fall campaign
for an eighth term representing the citizens of the 39th
District in the Kentucky General Assembly.
The event was held at the Lone Oak Country Clubhouse on
Monday August 14, 2006.
"Representing the people of Jessamine and Fayette
counties has been one of the most rewarding
experiences of my life," noted Rep. Damron.
"During my tenure in the General Assembly, I have worked
hard to protect the values
Kentuckians treasure most.
Funding of our public education system will continue
to be my top budget priority. I will work hard to
make our public school systems
the best possible for our
children."
Representative Damron's effectiveness as a legislator
was well illustrated this year as he helped
secure hundreds of millions of
dollars in infrastructure
projects for Jessamine and Fayette Counties. With his
wife Paula and son R.P. by his side,
representative Damron
addressed the group of
supporters stating, "I hope my actions as a member of
the General Assembly have proven that I am
trustworthy, qualified and committed to providing
the strong leadership that my constituents expect and
deserve from their State
Representative. I look
forward to continuing to serve the people of the 39th
District as your State Representative."
"As a member of House Majority Leadership Rep. Damron
is in a unique position to ensure that Jessamine
County's needs are taken care of in Frankfort,"
stated Jessamine County Judge Executive William Neal
Cassity. "He has always put the needs of Jessamine
County and our people first."
Rep. Damron closed the night with a heartfelt thank
you to his supporters, "With your support
tonight, we have now raised
over $115,000. for our campaign for
re-election and expect to raise at least an
additional $25,000 by
mid-October. Thank you all very much for
making tonight such a successful event."
Representative Damron serves in the Kentucky House
Leadership as Majority Caucus Chairman. He is a
member
of the Banking and Insurance Committee,
Health and Welfare Committee, Committee on
Committees and the Rules
Committee. Rep. Damron was awarded the
2006 Guardian of Small Business Award in July
2006. Rep. Damron was first elected to the General
Assembly in 1992.
------------------------------------------------
HOUSE WEEK
IN REVIEW
April 17, 2006
FRANKFORT --
Hundreds of millions of dollars will be
infused into Kentucky communities over the next
two years by an $18 billion
state spending plan passed by
the General Assembly this week.
I am pleased to announce that Jessamine County will
receive its fair share of funding. As the House
Majority Caucus Chairman I was able to help
secure approximately $7,500,000 for community
development projects and approximately $95,000,000 in
road funds for Jessamine County.
Road fund dollars are essential to Jessamine County's
future and I'm very pleased that money for the
East Nicholasville By-Pass was included in the budget.
Better roads will help our existing businesses with
their daily transportation needs, attract new
jobs to the area and reduce
congestion on our roadways.
More than $250 million was appropriated for important
water and sewer projects throughout Kentucky and
$4,630,000 will go toward critical projects for
the City of Wilmore and the
Jessamine County Water
District for the Baker Lane Water Service Upgrades,
sewer service to Centennial Park and for the
Groggins Ferry Road water line
upgrades.
Other community development projects Jessamine County
will see includes $400,000 for the Camp Nelson
Civil War Park, $250,000 for
the City of Wilmore's park
development and $250,000 for the Wesley Village
Community Center for upgrades.
Education was a top priority of this budget and $150
million was added to the State Schools' Facility
Fund for projects around the
state and Jessamine County
should receive a portion of that funding for area
schools.
Kentucky took significant steps forward with several
important pieces of legislation that passed
during this session. These
important bills were part of
House Democrats "Commitment to Kentucky Families"
agenda:
HB 1, which was included in the budget will bring
Kentucky's teacher pay up to the average pay of
surrounding states.
HB 445, which I co-sponsored, was placed in the
budget. HB 445 expands the number of Kentuckians
with health insurance by
helping small businesses insure
their employees was a budgetary priority.
Lawmakers provided $6.5
million next fiscal year and $13.5
million the following year for the ICARE
(Insurance Coverage
Affordability and Relief to Small Employers)
program that will provide vouchers to help
employers cover insurance
costs.
HB 508, will prevent the government from using eminent
domain for private development that only benefits
the public indirectly by
increasing jobs or the tax base,
for example. Only government ownership or use,
elimination of run-down or unsanitary areas,
public infrastructure use or other uses authorized by
law would constitute "public use" under the bill.
The legislation follows a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court
ruling that said the Fifth Amendment allows
eminent domain to be used for
private-sector economic
development that benefits the public. Since the
ruling, many states have considered revising
their
eminent domain laws to clarify public use, and five
states have passed laws restricting the use of
eminent domain. HB 508 is
awaiting the Governor's signature
House Bill 3, which I also co-sponsored, received
final passage on March 24. HB 3 makes Kentucky's
sex offender laws some of the
toughest in the country. Under HB 3 possession of child
pornography becomes a felony
offense and it prohibits sex offenders from
living within 1,000 feet of a school or public
playground. The Senate amended the bill to give police
access to juvenile court records, yet forbid them
from making the information
public.
House Bill 277. Now law and in effect, this is the
Historical Documents legislation that will allow
state agencies, local governments and public schools to
post historical documents including the Ten Commandments
and other religious materials as historic artifacts if
they are displayed in a balanced, objective and not
solely religious manner. In schools, religious materials
can only be displayed as part of a non-devotional,
academic course if approved by the school's governing
body.
Although I am very proud of the work we accomplished
over the past three months, I am extremely
disappointed that we were not able to pass
legislation that would provide
tax relief for Kentucky's small
businesses.
House Bill 295, which was supported the Kentucky Small
Business Caucus which represents over 40 small
business associations and whose membership
reaches into the hundreds of
thousands, was a bipartisan
effort designed to provide needed relief to small
businesses overburdened by the Administrations
Alternative Minimum Tax calculation. HB 295 had
the full support of over 118
Democrat and Republican
members of the General Assembly. Unfortunately, 20
Republican members of the Senate "killed" this
legislation, effectively preventing small
businesses from receiving any
tax relief.
I will continue to sponsor and support legislation to
help Kentucky's small business and hope that we
will enact legislation in the
very near future to address
this issue.
With the session now at an end, lawmakers are looking
toward the "interim" period--the months between
sessions--during which we will research issues that will
be addressed in legislation we
will consider in 2007. That period will last until
December, when we will prepare once again for the hectic
pace of session life.
If you would like to share your comments or concerns
with me about a particular bill under that was
under consideration during this legislative session, you
can call the toll-free Legislative Message Line at
800-372-7181 or the direct line to my office at
502-564-2217. You may also reach me through my website
at www.bobdamron.com. It is an honor and a privilege
serving as our community’s voice in Frankfort.
------------------------------------------------
Rep. Bob Damron and House Democratic
Leadership Unveil Creating and Keeping Kentucky Jobs
Third Plank of “A Commitment to Kentucky Families”
Frankfort, KY: Rep. Bob Damron,
(D-Nicholasville), Majority Caucus Chairman, today
unveiled the House Democratic Jobs agenda, entitled
“Creating and Keeping Kentucky Jobs."
Rep. Damron introduced the agenda saying "House
Democrats' commitment to Kentucky Families translates
into our commitment to Kentucky business and jobs. Small
business is the heart of Kentucky's economy and we're
here today to give Kentucky small business a voice."
Creating and Keeping Kentucky Jobs will focus on major
initiatives including affordable health care for small
businesses, a review of Gov. Fletcher's Tax
Modernization Plan and simplification of small business
regulations.
House Democrats recognize the need to revisit Gov.
Fletcher's Tax Modernization Plan. "Too many small
business owners have been hurt, not helped, by the
Alternative Minimum Calculation (AMC) and the Tax
Modernization Plan and we need to take a serious look at
how we can improve these measures," said Rep. Carolyn
Belcher (D-Owingsville)."
The unintended consequences of Governor Fletcher's Tax
Plan, continued Rep. Belcher, are that small businesses
are excessively burdened with the AMC filing process and
entrepreneurs are being deterred by the Gross Revenue
Tax.
Rep. Tommy Thompson (D-Owensboro) and House Democrats
will introduce a bill that will allow Kentucky small
business owners to provide health care for their
employees. "Helping these Kentucky business owners offer
health care builds a stronger, healthier workforce and
creates a more business-friendly environment for our
Commonwealth, " said Rep. Thompson.
"House Democrats also intend to introduce a bill that
will eliminate red tape that small businesses must sort
through every day," said Rep. Damron.
Tom Underwood, State Director of the National Federation
of Independent Businesses, said "On behalf of the
375,000 Kentuckians who belong to the 41 associations I
represent, let me simply say thank you."
"Through our commitment to Kentucky families, House
Democrats will do everything we can to preserve,
protect, and promote Kentucky's small businesses, the
heart of our Commonwealth's economy," concluded Rep.
Damron.
------------------------------------------------
FRANKFORT
-- Tax relief for more than 70,000 small businesses
throughout Kentucky was passed by state lawmakers today,
bringing a speedy conclusion to a special session called
by the governor last week to fix flaws in tax-reform
legislation passed last year.
House Bill 1 will provide immediate tax relief for lower
income businesses by excluding them from the
controversial alternative minimum tax calculation (AMC)
if they have gross receipts or gross profits below $3
million. The tax will be phased out for small businesses
with gross receipts or gross profits between $3 million
and $6 million. All businesses will, however, still pay
a $175 minimum tax required under current law.
The exemption will continue next year under a new
alternative minimum calculation called a Limited
Liability Entity Tax that will replace but be paid at
the same rate as the current AMC. Part of the LLET will
be an $175 annual tax that will replace the
current $175 minimum tax and be paid by all corporations
and limited liability entities that are not exempt.
Many businesses with high sales but a low profit margin,
such as car dealerships, and businesses that post no
profit have paid significantly more income tax under the
AMC, a calculation based on gross receipts or in-state
gross profits that was meant to target companies that
were avoiding tax liability in Kentucky. By requiring
businesses to pay the greatest amount of corporate tax
produced by one of three calculations--the AMC, the
traditional corporate income tax or a minimum tax of
$175--thousands of Kentucky businesses were socked with
enormous unexpected tax bills.
Under HB 1, these financially strapped businesses will
get the immediate, and lasting, relief they deserve.
Lower income businesses are not the only entities that
will receive an LLET exemption. Eighteen different types
of entities, including political organizations,
charities and agricultural cooperatives, will be exempt
from the LLET and the $175 annual tax.
Shareholder corporations and owners of pass-through
entities will be able to credit any LLET tax paid toward
their corporate income tax and, for owners of pass-throughs,
against individual income tax under the bill. And HB 1
will retain a 1-percent reduction in the top corporate
income tax rate effective Jan. 1, 2007. The rate will
drop from 7 percent to 6 percent at the start of the new
tax year.
The legislation will also exempt limited liability
entities or LLEs from state corporate income tax at the
entity level. That tax liability would instead flow
through to the owners, as it does at the federal level
and did at the state level before the entities
received tax liability last year.
In an attempt to land a $1 billion federal energy
demonstration project, the legislation will also provide
a state sales and use tax exemption for construction
materials used to build a zero-emissions coal-fired
power plant called Future Gen. Kentucky is competing
with six other states for the 275-megawatt power plant
that would produce hydrogen and electricity. Finalists
for the project are expected to be announced by the
Department of Energy next month.
Some lawmakers had urged Gov. Ernie Fletcher to also
allow them to consider tax incentives this session for
specific businesses looking to locate to Kentucky,
including a call center in Glasgow, a sporting goods
store in Western Kentucky and riverfront development in
Northern Kentucky. However, the governor did not agree
to expand the session's call to include such incentives,
and under Kentucky's Constitution only the
governor can specify the items that can be considered in
special session.
Our incentive for passing HB 1 was to protect thousands
of businesses and jobs statewide by correcting an unfair
tax system, while at the same time encouraging research
investment in the commonwealth. Our work this session
should go a long way toward accomplishing that mission.
------------------------------------------------
Damron
Delivers for Jessamine County
FRANKFORT -- Hundreds of
millions of dollars will be infused into Kentucky
communities over the next two years by an $18 billion
state spending plan passed by the General Assembly this
week.
I am pleased to announce that Jessamine County will
receive its fair share of funding. As the House Majority
Caucus Chairman I was able to help secure approximately
$7,500,000 for community development projects and
approximately $95,000,000 in road funds for Jessamine
County.
Road fund dollars are essential to Jessamine County's
future and I'm very pleased that money for the East
Nicholasville By-Pass was included in the budget. Better
roads will help our existing businesses with their daily
transportation needs, attract new jobs to the area and
reduce congestion on our roadways.
More than $250 million was appropriated for important
water and sewer projects throughout Kentucky and
$4,630,000 will go toward critical projects for the City
of Wilmore and the Jessamine County Water District for
the Baker Lane Water Service Upgrades, sewer service to
Centennial Park and for the Groggins Ferry Road water
line upgrades.
Other community development projects Jessamine County
will see includes $400,000 for the Camp Nelson Civil War
Park, $250,000 for the City of Wilmore's park
development and $250,000 for the Wesley Village
Community Center for upgrades.
Education was a top priority of this budget and $150
million was added to the State Schools' Facility Fund
for projects around the state and Jessamine County
should receive a portion of that funding for area
schools.
Kentucky took significant steps forward with several
important pieces of legislation that passed during this
session. These important bills were part of House
Democrats "Commitment to Kentucky Families" agenda:
HB 1, which was included in the budget will bring
Kentucky's teacher pay up to the average pay of
surrounding states.
HB 445, which I co-sponsored, was placed in the budget.
HB 445 expands the number of Kentuckians with health
insurance by helping small businesses insure their
employees was a budgetary priority. Lawmakers provided
$6.5 million next fiscal year and $13.5 million the
following year for the ICARE (Insurance Coverage
Affordability and Relief to Small Employers) program
that will provide vouchers to help employers cover
insurance costs.
HB 508, will prevent the government from using eminent
domain for private development that only benefits the
public indirectly by increasing jobs or the tax base,
for example. Only government ownership or use,
elimination of run-down or unsanitary areas, public
infrastructure use or other uses authorized by law would
constitute "public use" under the bill.
The legislation follows a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling
that said the Fifth Amendment allows eminent domain to
be used for private-sector economic development that
benefits the public. Since the ruling, many states have
considered revising their
eminent domain laws to clarify public use, and five
states have passed laws restricting the use of eminent
domain. HB 508 is awaiting the Governor's signature
House Bill 3, which I also co-sponsored, received final
passage on March 24. HB 3 makes Kentucky's sex offender
laws some of the toughest in the country. Under HB
3 possession of child pornography becomes a felony
offense and it prohibits sex offenders from living
within 1,000 feet of a school or public
playground. The Senate amended the bill to give police
access to juvenile court records, yet forbid them from
making the information public.
House Bill 277. Now law and in effect, this is the
Historical Documents legislation that will allow state
agencies, local governments and public schools to post
historical documents including the Ten Commandments and
other religious materials as historic artifacts if they
are displayed in a balanced, objective and not solely
religious manner. In schools, religious materials can
only be displayed as part of a non-devotional, academic
course if approved by the school's governing body.
Although I am very proud of the work we accomplished
over the past three months, I am extremely disappointed
that we were not able to pass legislation that would
provide tax relief for Kentucky's small businesses.
House Bill 295, which was supported the Kentucky Small
Business Caucus which represents over 40 small business
associations and whose membership reaches into the
hundreds of thousands, was a bipartisan effort designed
to provide needed relief to small businesses
overburdened by the Administrations Alternative Minimum
Tax calculation. HB 295 had the full support of over 118
Democrat and Republican members of the General Assembly.
Unfortunately, 20 Republican members of the Senate
"killed" this legislation, effectively preventing small
businesses from receiving any tax relief.
I will continue to sponsor and support legislation to
help Kentucky's small business and hope that we will
enact legislation in the very near future to address
this issue.
With the session now at an end, lawmakers are looking
toward the "interim" period--the months between
sessions--during which we will research issues that will
be addressed in legislation we will consider in 2007.
That period will last until December, when we will
prepare once again for the hectic pace of session life.
If you would like to share your comments or concerns
with me about a particular bill under that was under
consideration during this legislative session, you can
call the toll-free Legislative Message Line at
800-372-7181 or the direct line to my office at
502-564-2217. You may also reach me through my website
at www.bobdamron.com. It is an honor and a privilege
serving as our community’s voice in Frankfort.
------------------------------------------------
Education, roads headline House budget
By Bob Damron
State Representative
As the state constitution
directs, all budget bills for
Kentucky must originate in the House of
Representatives before moving to the Senate for
its consideration. Since we received the
governor's budget proposal in late January, House
Leaders and our Appropriations and Revenue Chairman,
Harry Moberly, have been working to improve the
governor's plan by finding more money to support
education, health services and benefits for teachers and
state employees.
Our week began last Sunday and continued into the
early hours of Monday morning as I, along with
other members of House
leadership, met with sub-committee
chairs to hear their budget proposals. This was
followed by non-stop meetings through out the
week to hammer out the final
details of the House's version of
the budget.
While we are operating in very tight budgetary times,
I am very pleased to announce that we were able
to find adequate revenue to
fund many important projects
and needs for Jessamine
County, without raising taxes.
Our first priority was increased funding for
education. The House proposed budget includes
funding to operate our new
Career and Technical School
currently under construction in Nicholasville. It also
includes much needed raises for our teachers and
classified staff. It also adds money for updating
our aging computers in our
children's classrooms.
One of the biggest disappointments in the governor's
budget was the failure to keep our transportation
projects on schedule. The governor's budget
delayed the Nicholasville
Bypass until 2011 from 2006 and the four-laning of U.S.
27 in Garrard County from 2006 to 2010 & 2011. Both
projects should have already been completed and any
further delay was unacceptable.
I am pleased to report that the widening of U.S. 27 in
Garrard County is back in the state plan for 2007
2008. I am especially pleased that the East
Nicholasville Bypass is not only back on schedule
but an additional $60 million
has been added to the
project, which now includes additional right-of-way
cost, design, and construction cost of the entire
project. Purchasing right-o-way is planned this
year with construction now
planned for 2009.
Other funding included in the House's version of the
budget is $300,000, to assist the Jessamine
County Fiscal Court with
preserving the buildings on Main
Street that burned last year, $200,000, to assist
the City of Nicholasville in
the construction of a new
skate park for our children, and $400,000, for
construction and furnishing of an educational and
resource building at Camp Nelson.
The Budget also establishes $2 million in grants to
provide and or improve water and sewer service to
Jessamine County's citizens. Included in those
projects are water line extensions or renovations
on Bethany Road, Union Mill
Road, Old Railroad Road,
Groggins Ferry Road, and Baker Lane. Also included in
the budget is $200,000, for the City of Wilmore to
rehabilitate its sewer collection system and
sewer projects to provide
sewer service to the Centennial
Park and the Ichthus Stage areas. The budget now
passes to the State Senate for consideration and
review.
If you would like to share your comments or concerns
with me about a particular bill under
consideration this session,
you can call the toll-free Legislative
Message Line at 800-372-7181 or the direct line
to my office at 502-564-2217.
You may also reach me through
my website at www.bobdamron.com. It is an honor and a
privilege serving as our community's voice in
Frankfort.
Copyright:The Jessamine Journal 2006
------------------------------------------------
Representative Bob Damron Elected to Leadership Post
in Kentucky House of Representatives
January 10, 2005
Frankfort, KY-- Legislators from around the state have
elected Representative Bob Damron, Nicholasville, as
Majority Caucus Chairman for the Kentucky House of
Representatives. As House Majority Caucus Chairman,
Representative Damron, will serve on a five-member
Democratic leadership team in the Kentucky House of
Representatives. In this leadership position,
Representative Damron will play a significant role in
influencing and shaping public policy in Kentucky.
"It is
truly an honor that my peers in the State House have
confidence in my abilities to elect me as their Caucus
Chair," said Representative Damron. "From this
leadership post, I look forward to working with all
sides to ensure that Kentucky prospers and that the
needs of our constituency are given first
consideration," added Representative Damron.
"It is
my hope that the General Assembly as a whole can work
together to foster an environment that will address the
many difficult issues that are facing Kentucky families
and the Commonwealth. Good jobs, greater development in
educational technology, and health care for our elderly
and most needy, are just a few of the areas where I
believe we need to focus our energies as state
legislators," said Representative Damron.
Rep.
Damron was first elected to the General Assembly in
1992, where he serves on the Banking and Insurance
Committee, Health and Welfare Committee,Veteran's
Affairs Committee, Tobacco Task Force Committee,
Committee on Committees and the Rules Committee, in the
Kentucky General Assembly.
------------------------------------------------
Damron Awarded by Contractors
( PDF )
December 19, 2005
------------------------------------------------
REPRESENTATIVE BOB DAMRON ELECTED CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF INSURANCE
LEGISLATORS
November 23, 2005
Frankfort, KY-- Rep. Robert Damron, Nicholasville, was
elected Chair of the Executive Committee to the National
Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) at their
annual meeting in San Diego, CA this past week. With
this election, Rep. Damron is scheduled to assume the
role of National President of NCOIL in 2009 and serve
through 2010.
NCOIL
is an organization of state legislators, from across the
country, whose primary area of public concern is
insurance. Rep. Damron, House Majority Caucus Chairman,
has served on the House Banking & Insurance Committee
since 1993. One issue of great concern to NCOIL is that
the regulation of the insurance industry remain at the
state level where consumer protection measures may best
be addressed.
"To be
elected by a group of legislative leaders from around
the country is truly an honor," said Rep. Damron. "I
look forward to working with these legislators to form
insurance policies that will benefit all working
families struggling with rising insurance rates," added
Rep. Damron.
"Rep.
Damron has distinguished himself as chair of the NCOIL
State-Federal Relations Committee and has earned the
respect of fellow legislators during his many years of
active participation in NCOIL. We think he’s clearly a
rising star in the organization, and we congratulate him
on his election." noted Florida Senator Steven Geller,
past NCOIL President and current Chair of the NCOIL
Nominating Committee.
Rep.
Damron was first elected to the General Assembly in
1992, where he serves on the Health and Welfare
Committee,Veteran's Affairs Committee, Tobacco Task
Force Committee, Committee on Committees and the Rules
Committee, in the Kentucky General Assembly.
------------------------------------------------
