December 10, 1996
Contact: Melissa Forsythe
502-564-2611

Governor Paul Patton today told the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Labor that his workers' compensation reform bill has room for improvement, but he's disappointed in the efforts of labor leaders to gut his bill.

"Labor is saying I've turned my back on them and the people they represent", the governor said. "None of that is true. This bill is intended to and will protect the injured worker and their job." Governor Patton testified that his proposal will cut the costs to non-coal industries by 11 percent, and workers will save about $30 million in unnecessary medical and legal bills. "These changes make every job in Kentucky a little more secure", Governor Patton said. "All we're trying to do is reduce payments to people who aren't hurt, or have slight injuries, so we can pay the seriously injured worker more." Governor Patton said his measure is a workers' bill, that does not deny access to legal counsel to any worker.

The governor said that his proposal will reduce the costs to the coal industry by an estimated 22 %, and cut the Black Lung program dramatically, by 67 %. "The miners have gotten the rest of labor to turn against a governor they helped elect, a governor who's demonstrated he's willing to stand up for labor when they're right, a governor who will in the future still be labor's friend when they need one, all to the help the miners hold on to a program which has long ago outlived its usefulness", the governor testified.

Patton recalled watching his grandfather , who died of black lung disease, sleep kneeling on a couch because he couldn't breathe lying down. He said that the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act has brought improvements which has decreased mine fatalities and reduced the number of severe black lung cases like his grandfather's. He said that his bill will fully compensate those miners who do suffer from the disease, paying benefits more than twice what any other worker in Kentucky would receive for the same disability. Patton's measure would also help those miners in the early stages of black lung escape the mines, by providing a generous retraining program. The governor pointed out that the production of coal in Kentucky has declined 13% in five years, and the number of miners has also declined, by more than 4300 , compared to one year ago.

"Miners constitute less than 2% of Kentucky's workforce, and receive about 55% of all workers' compensation benefits", the governor told the committee. He said that while miners are fighting for an obsolete program that is dragging down all of Kentucky, he is fighting for the jobs of all Kentuckians. Governor Patton urged the Senate committee to provide input, and reject efforts to sink the bill. Referring to labor's opposition to reforms, Governor Patton said it's been a hard couple of weeks. "But that's what the people of Kentucky elected me to do, do what's right, even when your friends abandon you...have the will to hold your ground in the face of threats of reprisal."