Beshear will hit at least 13 cities on town hall tour

Governor Steve Beshear (D-Lexington) will take his case around the state this summer during a nearly month-long tour through at least 13 towns across the commonwealth.

As reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Beshear will take his act on the road to discuss current issues in Kentucky and field questions from attendees at the public forums.

The tour – which stretches from eastern to western Kentucky - was announced shortly after a difficult start for Beshear and a series of changes in his office.

Six months into his first term as Governor, Beshear was seemingly on the ropes, struggling to pass many of his most publicly-lauded policy initiatives. His proposals to allow a public vote on a constitutional amendment that would expand casino gaming failed to see a vote in the Democratically-controlled House, while revenue-boosting cigarette tax hikes were trimmed back as well.

Last month, amid wrangling to pass a package of pension reform legislation, Beshear reshuffled his office, bringing in Kentucky’s Homeland Security Director Adam Edelen as Chief of Staff and University of Kentucky marketing director Jay Blanton as Director of Communications.

Upon successful passage of the pension package, Edelen told PolitickerKY.com he thought the governor could ride the momentum of that bi-partisan approval to further policy success.

One way Edelen mentioned the governor’s agenda could be pushed forward was by putting Beshear in front of the Kentucky public more frequently.

“I think [Beshear] is the best natural communicator that we've had as governor in the modern era,” Edelen told PolitickerKY.com after the special session ended. “You are going to see a lot more of Governor Beshear actually out in the state talking directly to citizens and elected officials in their own communities.”

The town-hall tour appears to be the most visible effort yet at this direct outreach.

With 13 cities on the schedule already, and more potentially to be added soon, Beshear’s barnstorming tour will stretch from the middle of this month to late August.

Although venues have not yet been announced, the most current schedule is as follows:

• July 17: Pikeville
• July 21: Somerset
• July 24: Winchester
• July 28: Ashland
• July 31: Madisonville
• August 5: Sheperdsville
• August 6: Bowling Green
• August 11: Owensboro
• August 12: Hazard
• August 14: Covington
• August 18: Henderson
• August 19: Murray
• August 20: Paducah