LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With the 2024 legislative session starting in less than a month, local leaders and lawmakers are laying out their priorities for the next year.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives David Osborne, State House Majority Whip Jason Nemes, State Senate Majority Caucus Chair Julie Raque Adams, and State Senate Minority Floor Leader Gerald Neal spoke Wednesday night on their policy priorities at the GLI-hosted bipartisan panel discussion.
Two things they all agreed on: public safety and education are paramount in Louisville.
An encouraging scene, as two of the top state representatives from the Louisville area voiced their willingness to work with Mayor Greenberg in the upcoming legislative session.
"Look I didn't vote for him, and if he lived in my district he wouldn't have voted for me," Nemes said. "But so what? Now let's get to work."
Osborne also said it's important for everyone to work together.
"The fact of the matter is that he leads this city that we all love and there is nothing good that can come from anything short of success of this mayor," he said.
There's one thing tying them all together.
"Public safety," Mayor Greenberg said. "I think that is an area where we all agree on the goals, and might be the area we have some of the biggest policy disagreements on how to achieve those goals, but we've acknowledged those and we move on."
Nemes said rising crime is an area of concern.
"Crime is going up all across the commonwealth of Kentucky, obviously with Louisville leading the way, especially young Louisvillians leading the way," Nemes said.
Earlier this year, Mayor Greenberg outlined his 2024 legislative priorities, including $250 million for improvements across the city.
"He's come up with some pretty bold requests, and so we'll do the best that we can do to meet a lot of those requests," Nemes said. "We don't support all of those requests he's made."
Nemes also wants to break up Jefferson County Public Schools into smaller districts.
"Something has to happen," he said. "And I don't have all the answers, but the answer that is wrong is the status quo."
Osborne believes JCPS will be a big focus for lawmakers.
"People ask me all the time why I spend so much energy worrying about JCPS when I don't represent Jefferson County," he said. "The fact of the matter is JCPS educates 17% of our kids in this state. That's 17% of our future."
Bottom line for local leaders and state lawmakers: make Louisville a better place for businesses and for raising families.
Other priorities addressed Wednesday night included affordable housing, local tax reform, and looking at how to improve the city county merger.
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