Governor Fletcher, Bipartisan Leaders Welcome Kentucky Farm Bureau Support

Frankfort, KY: In the first of several significant groups supporting Governor Fletcher's overall bipartisan, bicameral tax modernization proposal, the Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) announced its support for the overall JOBS for Kentucky plan. The KFB supports the Governor's overall tax modernization proposal while maintaining their policy disagreement over the current level of the cigarette tax as proposed in the plan. Governor Fletcher's JOBS for Kentucky plan will help farmer's across Kentucky by reducing the personal income tax on every working Kentuckian, exempting income received in a federal tobacco buy-out or buy-down program, and does not jeopardize the safeguards of House Bill 44 as it relates to the property tax.

"It is an honor to have the Kentucky Farm Bureau support the overall JOBS for Kentucky plan while realizing the state must face tough decisions and shared sacrifices to move Kentucky forward,” stated Governor Fletcher. "Nobody is closer to the Commonwealth's agriculture community and Kentucky's family farmer than the Farm Bureau and we welcome their support of this overall package.”

The Kentucky Farm Bureau was welcomed into the JOBS for Kentucky Coalition by Governor Ernie Fletcher, Senate President David L. Williams (R-Burkesville), Representative Robert Damron (D-Nicholasville) and Representative Jeffrey H. Hoover (R-Jamestown).

"The Kentucky Farm Bureau applauds Governor Fletcher's leadership on tax modernization as we believe this legislation, as a whole, moves Kentucky in the right direction, while we continue to debate the reasonableness of the cigarette excise tax.” stated David Beck, Executive Vice President of the Kentucky Farm Bureau. "Governor Fletcher's vision for moving Kentucky forward cannot be done without making tough decisions but the overall plan will benefit farmers across the Commonwealth.”

# # #