Graves County business leaders learned more about state and federal legislative issues during the Plant Manager’s Roundtable hosted by Graves County Economic Development (GCED) on April 23.
Guests included Kim Holloway, District 2 State Representative, Morgan Alvey, Field Rep., U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, and Austin Wetherington, Field Rep., Congressman James Comer. Jason Lemle, GCED President, served as host.
Rep. Holloway noted that Kentucky’s 30-day legislative session ended March 28 with 1,167 bills and resolutions filed and said 161 of those were passed into law. As a member of the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee and the Family Services Committee, Holloway said her focus was on limiting the power of unelected bureaucrats, increasing government transparency and avoiding government overreach.
She listed several bills of interest in the House of Representatives including HB 1, which lowers individual income tax, HB 15, which changes the law regarding the age at which drivers may apply for a driving permit, and HB 606, which allows local governments to work together for the purposes of economic development and creation of TIF districts. Rep. Holloway also noted that Joint Resolution 31 provides funding for economic development in the agriculture industry.
Alvey and Wetherington explained that there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty at the federal level. McConnell and Comer recently met with President Trump to discuss how to pay for the President’s agenda.
Wetherington said Congressman Comer is urging the President to use targeted tariffs rather than across-the-board increases, with a focus on national security and returning crucial manufacturing to the United States. He added that his office is reaching out to the Administration frequently for clarification and guidance on specific issues of interest to constituents. “We can try to help,” said Wetherington. “We have good relationships with key agencies.”
Regarding tariffs, Alvey pointed to Sen. McConnell’s recent op-ed published in the Louisville Courier-Journal in which he warned that tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, and could have long-term consequences for Kentucky businesses that sell their products around the globe or rely on global supply chains. Alvey explained that this is a longstanding position for the Senator.
“Senator McConnell wants the President to be successful and wants the tariff policy to be successful and play out the way the President hopes, but he is not convinced,” she said,
Constituents have been asking about tariff exemptions, but Alvey said there is not yet a formal process to submit those requests, though the Administration has announced a select few. There is also no definite news about assistance for affected industries, with Alvey saying it’s too early to know if that’s going to become a reality.
“There is a difference between free trade and fair trade,” said Alvey. There are certainly examples of good and bad, but the widespread net is the concern.”
Business leaders attending the Roundtable expressed concerns about the tariffs’ impact on the price of components used in local manufacturing and said the changing tariff levels have made it challenging to fairly price products due to wide springs in import costs for the same part. They also said it is difficult to make decisions about investing in business expansion due to the uncertainty.
“Companies want to expand,” said one business leader. “They want to add employees but can’t because of the uncertainty. “You can expand yourself right out of business right now,” said another.
Other concerns expressed included the impact of increased costs on housing expansion, power supply issues and the impact that will have on economic development and how to replace the income generated by the elimination of the State’s occupational tax, which funded most of the incentives to lure new business.
GCED hosts Plant Manager’s Roundtable meeting bi-monthly.
About Graves County Economic Development
Graves County Economic Development began in 1981, becoming the driving force behind expansion and development opportunities in the community. It continues to foster strong relationships with existing businesses and attracts new industry to grow in Graves County. Forty-four industrial businesses in Graves County employ more than 2,300 people in the community.
Contact: Jason Lemle, 270.804.1617