♪ This is an area where I have some frustration, particularly as an outsider to the federal government right now.

>> Congressman-elect Morgan McGarvey says he hopes to help pass gun control legislation.

One season the U.S. House of Representatives.

What other priorities does he have as Kentucky's only Democrat in Washington?

We'll take you to cities across Kentucky where leaders are strengthening their communities by re-imagining their possibilities.

As far as the there's room for creation.

>> Jobs and higher paying jobs.

It's certainly paid off much better than we ever anticipated.

>> How plans decades in the making are helping boost economic development and one Kentucky town.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Preston Down for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Tuesday.

December 27th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with us.

>> On this special episode of Kentucky Edition, we're focusing on economic development.

>> Kentucky has a variety of strengths that make it the best place to do business in the U.S.. We'll highlight a few cities where years of planning is beginning to pay off.

But first, a conversation with us.

Congressman-elect Morgan Mcgarvy.

The Louisville native will soon be the only Democrat representing Kentucky in Washington, D.C., he was elected to succeed.

Representative John Yarmouth in the 3rd Congressional district prior to running for federal office.

Mcgarvy served as a state senator for 10 years.

I recently sat down with the congressman elect to see how the transition is going and where he thinks he can find bipartisan support and what will soon be a Republican controlled U.S. House.

>> Kentucky has its priorities and this is their areas with the delegation.

Absolutely should come together areas like higher education.

The state between the University of Louisville, the risk of Kentucky, other the regional universities, making sure we're getting the funding back.

But to those universities, infrastructure, making that Kentucky is getting infrastructure needs met, that we have as a logistics hub as a Maybe it's even a simple as joining the Bourbon Caucus.

>> I was going to say there's going to be some bourbon and hear some way at agreeing that one of our state's signature industries and signature continues to be able to go throughout the world.

So I think there's a lot of ways we can work together and I hope to continue doing what I've done in Frankfort.

Yeah, which is obviously represent my constituents and stay true to my values.

But always look for those places where we can make progress.

I think that's what the people who are ultimately our bosses and the people of Kentucky want to see us to see us make progress, make things look better.

>> I do want to just return really quickly back to the election when there were predictions that turned out to be widely over exaggerated about a big red wave and then not that did not bear out.

And as you mentioned, you've got 74 in your freshman class.

Democrats will have what, 213 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kevin McCarthy right now probably sweating it out, trying to get to 218 to become speaker.

So when you think about the dynamics in play right now in Washington and where Democrats are positioned, where do you see opportunity for freshman like you to really make some inroads?

You know, when I started in the Kentucky Senate, we had divided government.

>> The House is controlled by Democrats.

The Senate was controlled by Republicans.

It's flipped on the federal level.

I've seen divided government work because that's when you really need to have people who are able to come together who are able to listen to solve problems, to try to get legislation through.

I hope we listen to our better angels and D C. And to the next 2 years aren't complete gridlock but find those areas where we can agree.

We've got to have a budget.

We can make sure we're funding federal government.

We've got to make sure that again, we're meeting the priorities of the American people working on the supply chain, still making sure we get out of the pandemic, making sure you know that we're tackling the problems of inflation, lowering the cost of things like prescription drugs.

I think there's a lot of things where we agree.

Let's use this opportunity to listen to each other.

Makes Brock.

>> Because it's some tepid optimism about that.

There is any I've been talking to someone about the Kentucky General because I still get asked a lot about that, right.

And of course, the governor's election is going to loom large over everything the General Assembly does.

>> I think we're watching the 2024 election cycle already.

Start now.

And so when the president is going to be up for election, well, it's reelection election.

But when the presidential election is coming, you know, there's going to be certain tension.

And like you said, I think a lot of people anticipated a red wave.

It didn't happen.

In fact, it's the first time I believe since 1934, that the path Party in power in the Senate gained a seat.

What I hope is that that shows kind of rejection of extremism.

And that enforces the notion that we're going up there to represent people to do could work to pass policies that people need in their everyday lives and come home, take care of things in the district.

>> And you're coming in.

You're relatively young man.

And now you're going to be led by a new generation younger leadership.

You look at her team Jeffries.

I think the elder might be Katherine Clark, who's 59 of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar is 43 is Democratic Caucus chairman.

You have Pelosi story or and clybourn moving out of the picture when it comes to leadership and those moving in.

>> What does this bode for ambitions for a Congressman Morgan McGarvey.

Do you have ambitions to hold some kind of leadership capacity or position in First, I think it's exciting.

>> I think it's exciting to watch leadership pass the torch and in a way where all the people you just mentioned are staying in Congress, but doing a good job of of training and making sure that the next generation of leaders are ready for the task I love being a legislator.

I always have love being legislator.

It's while in fact I wanted to run for this office.

I like working in that environment Kentucky has a rich tradition of strong legislators from both sides of the aisle.

And so, you know, my goal is to go up there and I don't want to be a backbencher for the entire my career.

I also know that I'm going in.

There is a freshman in the minority and that there is a long game to be played.

And so, you know, I hope to hope to have my you know, which is work hard again, respect my colleagues and be able to be in the conversations.

We do important things for a community where you can take some cues, possibly from Congressman James Comer, the first district.

He's only been in for 6 years and look at the position he will be in her eyes as chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and pretty powerful position.

The only one has what subpoena power.

So talk about the, you know, the investigations that he says and he was on meet the press.

He's been doing.

>> The Sunday tour, right?

Talking about heat, the Hunter Biden investigation.

The origins of COVID in going after Fauci.

But there also 39 or 49 other investigations that he wants to do.

What kind of conversations are you going to have with Congressman calmer about?

>> Are you?

Well, look, I believe that the government has an important role in oversight.

I want to make sure that that committee isn't use for just political purposes.

There really is an function we can play and making sure that our government is working for the American people.

>> But let's not.

You have witch hunts and political partisan fight out of that committee.

Yeah.

>> Have you already gotten your assignments?

Know?

We haven't gotten our assignments yet.

And this is one of those.

It's an interesting time because when you switch majority's, a lot changes.

We don't even know the ratios yet, right?

So of of how many Democrats and how many Republicans will be on each committee.

And and it's all this domino effect is I'm learning.

So, for instance, you leader Steny Hoyer who's been the number 2 leader in the House for a long time, has been serving for a really long time.

Really storied career.

He's going back and he's going back on the committee.

Well, because leadership doesn't serve on committees in the House.

Typically.

And so he might bump somebody committee who's more senior, who then goes to another committee.

Both sides.

>> That's what you mean by the domino effect.

So I will tell you where the ball stops rolling.

It's my the Haha.

I say, you know, it is a little state legislature are not purely a seniority based spotty and Frankfort, right?

There's a lot that happens in the sun already base body.

>> Where you do have to pay a few days.

Yeah.

Do you get any kind of input?

>> Can you provide any input on takes it like to sit on?

So I have submitted a to Democratic leadership outlining some of my key committees which I want to serve, which are put energy and commerce as number one.

That's one of what they call the 4 exclusive committees in the House.

All that means is it.

If you serve on one of those 4 exclusive committees, you cannot serve on another committee until every other member of your caucus has had the committee selections.

So those 4 are going to see if I get this right financial services ways and means energy and commerce and appropriations.

Also, if you're on one of those 4 committees, you're not going to be on the other.

Okay.

So one of the energy and commerce in because it will play that health care is one place and business still plays obviously.

And in the energy economy, which I want to continue to push forward into the future in Likely not going to happen is a freshman.

So the next committee choice I made was for education and labor.

>> Which seems like I would have said that would've been your number one because you've been such a strong advocate for public education in Kentucky when and >> for all practical purposes, it is my number one because I'm not going to funded by the folks putting a marker down for energy and commerce at a future date is really what that I see.

Education labor really is my number one choice given the importance of education, not just in the state, but in this country is still the greatest disrupter of poverty that we have and looking at education at the model we have of K through 12 expanding.

Yeah.

You know, you have talked that this would look at education for decades has been here and talk with what if public education is more than that.

If it starts before kindergarten with a cause later, the 12th grade and of course, labor in making sure that we're taking care of American families and American workers, I think is of paramount importance, watched it during the pandemic.

And I were watching it right now as we have people who are working day in and out of the railroads who want 6 days have been able to get them the importance of making sure that we have not just a surviving workforce, but a thriving work force.

>> You can see my full interview with Congressman Elect Morgan Mcgarvy online at KET Dot Org.

Slash connections now from low utility Costa on match logistical advantages and its geographic location.

Kentucky has a variety of strings that make it a great place to do business.

Today.

We're looking at how cities and counties are strengthening their communities through economic development and early December, we assembled a group of officials and experts from across Kentucky for a town hall-style discussion to talk about strengthening the state's economy with even more business recruitment and jobs expansion.

Let's talk about what it takes to grow.

Well, and you or someone in your organization consists of more than 900 member, 600 companies.

And you're really focused on policies that help expand economic growth in this state.

So talk to us about what that looks like.

What does the state have to offer when it comes to taxes, incentives?

How well are we doing when we are competitive?

If we are competitive in those areas?

>> Well, thank you so much for having me.

First of all, it's great to be here.

I would say that, yes, we are competitive.

Clearly this level of investment that we've experienced recently is unprecedented.

And Kentucky is competing, but we have a ways to go with the change that where facing now in this new era of economic development, let's say.

I think the most important thing we can do is continue to analyze our all of our programs are tax structure are incentive programs.

You know, Kentucky has been leading the way in performance-based incentives for a long time.

How does changing tax structure impact that now these are questions that the chamber and our partners are having every day.

As you mentioned, we're a large organization.

We've got so many folks from private business, government education partners, looking at this collaborating hopefully keeping us on that competitive edge going from right?

>> So there is still more room for growth.

Let me ask you about the Kentucky Product Development Initiative Kpd I that aims to help all 120 counties.

What is this and how does it help them?

>> This is a fantastic new program.

The General Assembly has appropriate 100 million dollars to the product development initiative now launch statewide.

This is an investment the state is making in Kentucky's economic development assets.

there has been a maximum funding amount.

A lot of to every county in Kentucky.

They apply to this for things site preparation, due diligence studies building and renovation projects, road extension, infrastructure improvements to help make Kentucky's assets that we already have more competitive because you just can't have too many good assets in economic development.

But it's the issue that's most important to me.

He's communicating the return on that investment.

This is not just grant funds.

These are investments.

The states making to see return for all of our communities.

>> And that's a 2 million dollar maximum for some communities.

It's based on population, OK?

So it could be more could be less than that.

Not nobody has more than 2 million could be less depending on popular.

Okay, great miss Amanda Davenport, thank you for being here with us.

I want to ask you, particularly in rural communities, which I'm sure really trying to take advantage of this.

A new initiative in this program.

So talk to us.

You know, economic development looks different for your area.

Then it would be for Lexington or Louisville.

So can you talk about what rule communities can do to be competitive and also how this initiative is helping you?

Sure absolutely.

with the pdi it was started back in 2018 and at that time we had an industrial that was on a highway that we've never really thought all the assets that has it.

>> Haven't really been utilized to its full advantage and going through the pdi program really made a stop and take stock of what are the features that are part, has it a mile from the interstate.

It has a rail service.

It has population within a 45 minute drive time of several 100,000.

So going through the pdi process really kind of opened our eyes to the site that we had.

And the part that we had, I'm in the 2019 cycle we received a grant of to build a site.

Since then we've invested over $500,000 in our industrial park all through going through the pdi process and stopping to evaluate what kind of park we had and what return on investment we can make within our site.

So what does your park look like?

it has to building path?

We've to really large building pads.

We removed a road.

We plan to build new We've had partnerships through our utility There are county.

It A's and we're looking at how we can fund a spec building.

So all of this happened because of Pdi and before going to that process, we just have never really thought about what our park could be.

When you say spec building, can you define that your non economic spec building is basically a day speculative building that you build in order to attract a company.

And so it can be >> typically manufacturing facility, some communities do warehousing or but we would be looking at potentially building a building to attract a manufacturer and so that they have a faster time open their operations.

Yeah, OK, that makes sense.

Thank you for that explanation.

JD Cheney, good to see you right to the Kentucky Lake City's so yes, there been a lot of good announcement.

The time that we recorded this particular conversation.

We know that the battery plant was telling us about their progress.

And we're seeing some of that video about how they're acting thing.

So it really looks more than just like a large dirt field.

The bourbon industry booming.

So talk to us about the kind of industries where we're really seeing a lot of growth.

And where are they located?

>> He and even though they might not get as much attention.

But you look in the aerospace, I think number one.

He's right in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The whether it's a plant down in Madisonville.

You see a lot with health care out the fire to Judge Moore on logistics and distributions where he's where he certainly has expertise.

But all those you can't measure these projects equally of their sales or sales might be very different.

Then and their economic, the industrial development from Berea Building stuff around arts and culture.

Mayor for alien Mayor Trauger here and then Charlie Cleaves here from Bellevue, where they have example of of of redoing retail downtown, along along the riverfront.

And so each community's very different and local officials are very well positioned to know what the best advantages, their unique assets in their community have to offer.

So I want you to talk about that because cities may >> have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up, but they don't know how to get there.

What should they do?

First step.

>> But you've got the standard checklist.

I mean, you need to know you need to have the infrastructure.

Obviously, cities come in and they do that with water, gas sewer, on many occasions.

They also a need a workforce.

I think that's something that's been discussed at least the potential to develop workforce housing we're seeing is a major issue in a number of communities across the state.

Looking at that checklist.

One thing that's overlooked a lot, though, is quality of place.

You know, our elected officials are creating hometown's home towns where people want to enjoy a quality of life.

That's what their jobs are.

It's what their mission is as elected.

That city officials and in collaboration with all the various it's not just city and county collaboration, which is very important.

Cities delivering the infrastructure, creating the hometown, the county's delivering statewide services.

The state has a role to play, but so does the school board.

So does special districts in so many of those cases.

And I think you're looking to see that there are some synchrony or are symbiotic relationship between all of those units of government coming together with the with the shared vision and that that I think is very key in Korea in advancing Kentucky's hometowns.

>> Governor Andy Beshear says since the start of 2021, companies have announced more than 400 new location and expansion projects in Kentucky.

That totals more than 20 billion dollars in investments and created more than 32,000 jobs.

You can see our building KET form.

Right now, online streaming on demand at K E T Dot Org.

Owensboro revitalized its downtown him proved its transportation infrastructure.

Our Casey Parker Bell went to the Commonwealth's 4th largest city to ask economic development leaders how they did it and what other communities can take away from their success.

>> An economic development, we're all about attracting new industry as well as helping our existing businesses grow.

And Owensboro is using its glitzy renovated riverfront.

>> To attract business and grow the community.

>> It's completely different from when I was growing when I was here when I was younger, it was just a grassy area, small playground.

There was a boat ramp at the end of But now you know as you can see, they free completely redone.

Everything.

>> Brad Davis grew up in Owensboro he now works for the city's economic Development Corporation.

And he says the renovated five-block Riverfront Park has completely changed, owns Borough's downtown.

It's known for having the top playground in the world.

First water features.

For space for public art.

But the changes were the result of forward thinking investment starting a little over a decade ago.

>> have Mayor Ron Payne who actually one of his first actions when he was in office was to raise that insurance insurance tax premium 4% to 8%.

>> Elizabeth Griffith Mud says the tax increase was controversial at the time, but it's direct result is a revitalized downtown.

The roughly 80 million dollars raised from the tax increase.

Help pay for improvements to Smothers Park and led to over a billion dollars in economic impact.

It led to a new convention center at one end of the park and the new Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame nearby.

>> I think back in 2009, we had a lot of people who were scared and just nervous.

Nobody likes change.

It can be.

Yeah.

Scary.

When start when starting out.

But I think you have to sometimes take that leap of faith.

Because it it just leads as we can see here.

You know, it's just lead to our Grove owns Borough's population.

>> Has grown over 5% since the tax increase.

But the community is looking at other ways to grow.

Part of the way is by using the river, not just for show, but for transportation.

The Owensboro River port uses river and railroad to ship products all over the world.

One of the river ports success stories he's using rail transport for Jeep Gladiator chances.

The parts are made in Davies County and ships to another plant across the Ohio River.

The railroad allows 500 chances to be ship today.

More than could ever be moved by a truck.

They can only hold 15 at the time.

That infrastructure deal brought over 110 new jobs to Owensboro alone and the river port has a new dock.

He's looking to take advantage of the improved infrastructure.

>> That is very unique for And in anyone that's looking to utilize multi modes takes huge advantage and opportunities to have direct access to the water and rail service at the same time.

>> The new dock is tall enough to prevent flooding improving the number of days.

It can be an operation and driving additional commerce over 6 year period.

The report facility help transport almost 6 billion tons of cargo.

Brian Wright reports president says it will make it easier to transport goods and provide opportunities for growth.

>> Economic development is a is a team sport.

So Dana find those people in the community that really want to to start a business and provide them with as much support as you can provide them.

>> Owensboro, he's taking advantage of what their community has to offer and was willing to adjust to improve business.

>> Back in 2009 with that revitalization, having those leaders take that leap of faith in bring change in that into the community.

It's really been an asset for us.

>> Brad Davis is advice for other communities is to go their own way.

>> That may be the one piece of advice is kind of contrary to that list.

Don't try to replicate what another community is doing.

I think it's great to go out and look in C what successes are in different communities.

But what you really have to do is is look and see.

What folks, you know, what strings to we have 4 K T I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you, Casey.

An economic development project in South Central Kentucky is being called a game changer.

Officials broke ground over the summer on what's Warren County's biggest investment ever.

>> With Trance Park is indeed 1, One of the biggest things very, very proud of and that's helped to change lives throughout this region.

Around 2004, 2005, we landed Bowling, Green metal forming, which was kind of our flagship employer up there for for many years.

>> With trance par, if you look over the past 20 plus years.

>> It was about 900 acres.

And over that time we've landed some of the leading projects in Kentucky.

>> Roughly 2008, 2009, we started getting more aggressive with job development incentives from the city where the city would give one percent of withholdings back to the companies that would locate here, that the state would match it with 3%.

Along with that.

We bonded the city issued GEO Bonds we partnered on with the county.

Our city and county had the vision to invest in the Trans park all these years to create that foundation.

>> And then even though we're going through a worldwide pandemic and have a tornado, they invested another 46.5 million.

And then another 12 million on top of that.

>> During the pandemic, we realize that we're going to need more land.

And the at was able to buy a piece of property to the tune of 7 million dollars and the city and county also went together and bought another piece of property that was was a roughly 12 million dollars.

And those 2 pieces of property help land these other additional 5 or 6 companies, including the big one envisioned as well as Tyson Ball Corporation.

that really help spur this last 12 months or 18 months worth of development.

>> We've been very blessed and that that we've had, you know, several of the number one new projects announced a Kentuckyian then, you know, past 12 months, we announced in vision, which is the second largest capital investment and all of Kentucky history, 7th highest job creation with the 2000 jobs in Kentucky history.

So it's obviously the largest project ballroom, one kind ever to be announced.

It's much easier for it.

Community like ours that has 85 different languages spoken in our school system.

>> To get the attention of international.

Businesses.

>> Scott CDC has another facility that we can do training and work with the companies to help train their employees.

>> We got to see leads the state annually and training for manufacturing.

So that talent strategy backed up by our school districts backed up by Sky.

CDC has proven to help us win project after process.

As far as the >> vision for creation of jobs and higher paying jobs.

It certainly paid off much better than we ever anticipated.

>> A lot of great economic development around the Commonwealth and will continue to follow it as it progresses.

Thank you for watching tonight.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky.

Addition, we're we inform connect and inspire.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for watching again and I'll see you tomorrow night.

♪