There is no doubt that climate change is real. I come from a family of farmers, so I know how important our land, water, and air are to our way of life. That is why I strongly support new solar energy efforts that are emerging around the state. With Gov. Beshear’s announcement that Ford will produce batteries for the next generation of their vehicles here, Kentucky has become the electric vehicle manufacturing capital of the world. This is just one example of how job creation and reducing fossil fuel use can be mutually beneficial. We need more lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are invested in protecting our environment for generations to come.
We also need to protect our green spaces in our local neighborhoods. When Kentucky Utilities began cutting down trees in Lexington, I was out in front calling for them to work with us to come to a reasonable solution. Of course we need to look for ways to reduce power outages, but we don’t have to sacrifice our tree canopy to do so. There is a middle ground where we can trim trees, maintain our home values, and increase our communities’ tree canopy.