Sessions and Trainings on Environmental Issues Before the State General Assembly and Beyond

Join us on Sunday afternoon (1:00-5:00 ET) on January 26th on the campus of Kentucky State University in Frankfort. Want the latest information on environmental issues impacting Kentucky? Want to be a more effective citizen advocate during the General Assembly? Want to know how the recent elections will impact state and federal policy on environmental issues?

We will provide resources you will need to be an effective advocate for a wide range of environmental issues impacting Kentucky and discuss continuing and emerging environmental issues during Kentucky’s 2025 legislative session with a range of topic experts and lawmakers.

Members in good standing are also invited to VOTE for the KCC 2025 Board of Directors! Details on candidates and ballot can be found HERE.

Logistics:

• The meeting is located at Kentucky State University campus, 400 East Main St, Frankfort, In Extension building, Room 238.  Wifi will be available in the meeting room to view materials online.

Conference Schedule (Some presenters still being confirmed- watch for schedule updates).

• 1:00-1:10 Welcome and Introductions ,

  • Gerry James, KCC Board President; Lane Boldman, KCC Director

• 1:10-1:40 Legislative Process, Bill Highlights

  • Randy Strobo, Lane Boldman- KCC Legislative Agents

    • Resource: How a Bill Becomes a Law

    • Resource: Grassroots Lobbying 101

• 1:40:2:20 Land Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

  • David Wicks, Kentucky Ohio Regional Recreation Authority

  • Heather Jeffs, Advocacy Team for the Kentucky Land Trust Coalition

  • Gerry James, Board President of KCC and also Deputy Director of the Sierra Club Outdoors for All program.

• 2:20-3:20 Feature Guest- Alice Driver, author of “Life and Death of the American Worker”

• Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, an explosive exposé of the toxic labor practices at the largest meatpacking company in America and the immigrant workers who had the courage to fight back.

• During the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 16, also known as an “Ag-Gag” bill, prohibiting the operation of recording devices involving commercial food manufacturing and processing. This kind of legislation favored large-scale farms such as Tyson, who had been in the process of opening a new $355 million production factory in Bowling Green during the 2024 legislative session. Ms. Driver’s work exposes environmental and worker practices at Tyson foods in Arkansas.

• 3:20-4:15 Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program Update

  • Presenter: Cassondra Crookshank Kentucky Department of Transportation

    • Resources: Kentucky’s Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Plan - Program Charter

• 4:15-5:00 Energy, Economic Development and the Environment

  • Guests still being confirmed, however this panel will be focused on recent developments in energy and how they impact the state’s economy.

    • Solar Resources: Kentucky Conservation Committee Citizen’s Resource Guild on Large-Scale Solar

    • Cleantech and Energy Use Resources: RMI Decarbonizing Data Centers, and Inside the Cleantech Race

• 5:00 Closing: Putting issues into Actions

Additional KCC Conference Resources: Navigating the General Assembly.

• LRC “Connecting With the General Assembly”

• Who’s My Legislator?

• Preparing to Meet with Your Lawmaker (Virtual or In Person)
  
  

Topics You will Learn About during KCC’s Legislative Summit