Stivers announces early reelection bid at Corbin fundraiser

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers spoke during a fundraiser in Corbin Monday.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers wants to put to rest any speculation about what elected office he intends to seek next.

He wants to stay right where he is now.

Stivers (R-Manchester) made the unusual move Monday of announcing his candidacy for the state’s 25th Senate District a year before the filing deadline. The announcement came during a fundraiser at the home of Terry and Marion Forcht in Corbin.

“I’ve never really done it this way, but I’m doing it now because I want to make sure that everybody doesn’t have any misunderstandings about what my plans are,” Stivers said. “There’ve been guesses that I’m running for this or running for that. I’m very happy with what I’m doing and very proud of what I’m doing.”

Stivers was first elected to the Kentucky Senate in 1996. He won contested re-election bids in 2000, 2004 and 2008. His district is comprised of Clay, Knox, Lee, Owsley, Whitley and Wolfe Counties.

Speaking to the group of about 50 supporters at the event, Stivers, who was elected Senate President in 2013, wants to see a “change in the state.” He laid out a general plan that included a “more favorable regulatory environment” for business, a move away from taxes on “productivity” to more taxes on “consumption,” and education reform.

“We’ve come out of a terrible recession. We lost 7,000 jobs in the east [part of the state]. We have some unique assets and attributes like our potential for tourism or as a location for manufacturing or distribution,” Stivers said. “But we are behind other states. And we have to create an environment … in this state that’s going to create jobs.”

“If we don’t, we are going to see declining population. We are not going to keep up with our sister states around us and we are not going to keep up with the world.”

Stivers said changing the taxing structure in the state is of paramount importance, and said he has been swayed by the idea of local option sales taxes — something the General Assembly is set to consider this session — into new thinking on the issue. He said he favors sales taxes over taxes on things like income or inventory.

“I’m very much about taxing consumption instead of productivity.”

He called consumption taxes fundamentally fairer.

Stivers was introduced at the event by its host, Terry E. Forcht, CEO and Founder of Forcht Group of Kentucky. Forcht praised Stiver’s tenacity and energy both in his public service and private business.

“I am very impressed with the Senator’s work ethic,” Forcht said. “He literally never stops. “

Forcht said Stivers would need that energy during this session of the General Assembly to tackle the budget and issues like public employee pension reform.

Stivers was accompanied at the event by Third District Senator Whitney Westerfield (R-Hopkinsville). Westerfield said he plans to be a Republican candidate for Attorney General. The filing deadline for the position is Jan. 27.

The only other Attorney General candidate is Democrat Andy Beshear, son of Kentucky Gov. and First Lady Steve Beshear and Jane Beshear.