For Release: April 24, 1998
Contact: Melissa Forsythe 502-564-2611
Mark Pfeiffer

 GOVERNOR PATTON PUSHES WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS FOR TOBACCO SETTLEMENT FOR KENTUCKY'S FARM FAMILIES

Washington, D.C.--In meetings today with Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle, Kentucky Governor Paul Patton made clear to the lawmakers the need for a tobacco settlement bill that includes farm families and their communities.

Governor Patton met with House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and Congressman Steny Hoyer, the House Democratic liaison to the Democratic governors. Patton told them, "If there's a settlement bill, it must maintain the tobacco support program, because without it, the family farm dies in our state."

Later in a meeting with Republican Congressional leader Tom Bliley of Virginia, who will lead efforts in the House to develop comprehensive tobacco legislation, Governor Patton repeated his position. He urged Bliley to consider Senator Wendell Ford and Congressman Scotty Beasler's farmers' legislation as a model for his bill.

The Governor also pushed his point with the White House again in a meeting with Vice President Al Gore. Patton told Gore, "We support a program to reduce teenage consumption of tobacco and at the same time we need to protect tobacco producing communities from any reduction in tobacco consumption."

Governor Patton was in Washington today for several meetings with the National Governor's Association Executive Committee. He promoted his tobacco position with the NGA and urged the governors to continue to push for swift passage of transportation legislation.

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