Dear Editor,

On Monday morning, Mayor Mike Perros invited Sen. Rick Girdler and state Rep. Daniel Elliott to share the major issues under consideration during the Kentucky General Assembly in Frankfort.  A large group of Danville and Boyle County citizens filled the community room at city hall. It was gratifying to attend and witness the calm, reasoned exchanges on serious matters as they unfolded.

Among myriad issues covered were enhancing our K-12 education system, state level tax reform, the looming multi-billion dollar pension deficit, the Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal, health care insurance for teachers & state workers and potential changes in Kentucky’s Medicaid program. Audience members asked numerous questions over the hour-and-a-half long session.

The knowledge of pending and proposed legislation exhibited by Sen. Girdler and Rep. Elliott was remarkable. That was especially true knowing hundreds of bills and resolutions are already in the hopper. And when a given legislative proposal was unknown to the legislators, they readily offered to get with the questioners to research its content and respond to constituent support or concerns.

These citizen legislators, each with their own professions have obviously dedicated long hours, delving into vital issues that affect our citizens’ health, economic development and financial wellbeing across our population.

The level of access offered by both gentlemen was genuine, each urging calls and letters — even visits to our Capitol to guide their votes as the General Assembly deliberates through mid-April.

Among its tenets, Kentucky’s Constitutional process lays out the manner in which we gain input to our General Assembly members. As Kentuckians, we owe it to ourselves to take our members up on the invitation to participate in our state’s legislative process.

Tom V. Ellis

Danville