KCC Legislative Summit and
2025 Annual Meeting
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 [10 min] Welcome and Introductions ,
Gerry James, KCC Board President; Lane Boldman, KCC Director
VOTE for the KCC Board of Directors (Members only)
1:10-1:40 [30 min] Legislative Process, Bill Highlights
Randy Strobo, Lane Boldman- KCC Legislative Agents
Resource: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Resource: Grassroots Lobbying 101
1:40-2:40 [60 min] Land Conservation; Outdoor Recreation
Heather Jeffs, [1:40-2:00] Advocacy Team for the Kentucky Land Trusts Coalition [Link] [Investing in KY Land and Waters]
David Wicks, [2:00-2:20] Kentucky Ohio Regional Recreation Authority [Link] [Media]
Gerry James, [2:20-2:40] Board President of KCC and also Deputy Director of the Sierra Club Outdoors for All program.
2:40-3:40 [60 min] 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.
(Our Thanks to Carmichael’s Books for supplying books for signing. Our thanks to Kentucky Sierra Club for co-sponsoring this segment).
3:40-4:10 [30 min] Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program Update
Cassondra Crookshank Kentucky Department of Transportation
4:10-4:50 [40 min] Energy, Economic Development and the Environment
Liz Natter [4:10-4:30] (former General Counsel for the Energy and Environment Cabinet). Recent discussions on nuclear energy.
Josh Bills [4:30-4:50] Sr. Energy Analyst for Mountain Association. Recent developments in energy and how it impacts state advocacy
Helpful Additional Energy Resources:
Nuclear: KCC Backgrounder on Nuclear in Kentucky, KCC Nuclear Webpage
Solar: Kentucky Conservation Committee Citizen’s Resource Guild on Large-Scale Solar
Cleantech Resources: RMI Decarbonizing Data Centers, and Inside the Cleantech Race. KCC web pages on Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers, and Cryptocurrency Mining
4:50-5:00 Closing [10 min]: Putting issues into Actions
Additional KCC Conference Resources: Navigating the General Assembly.
Topics You will Learn About during KCC’s Legislative Summit
Our Special Guests and Presenters are being updated, so watch this space
Gerry Seavo James, KCC President
Lane Boldman, Kentucky Conservation Committee
Randy Strobo, Strobo-Barkley PLLC.
Cassondra Crookshank, Kentucky Department of Transportation
Alice Driver, Author of “Life and Death of the American Worker.”
David Wicks, Kentucky Ohio Regional Recreation Authority
Heather Jeffs, The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky
Liz Natter, former General Counsel for the Energy and Environment Cabinet
Josh Bills, Sr. Energy Analyst for Mountain Association
General Assembly Overview, Citizen Lobbying Tools, Federal Initiatives
We’ll provide a broad look at environmental bills before the General Assembly, and related issues including the impacts of funding initiatives such as the Federal Infrastructure law, Inflation Reduction Act, and other important federal initiatives that will impact state government, but also community agencies and nonprofits.
We will provide tools on on ways for citizens to engage as a “citizen lobbyist”, plus tips on how to navigate legislative issues in a virtual world.
We will be placing a special emphasis on what communities can do to support the investments being made at the federal and state level.
Topics You will Learn About
Legislative Process, KCC Bill Highlights and Emerging initiatives
We will go over key environmental bills filed to date with KCC legislative agents, as well as an overview of emerging and continuing issues being discussed in state government.