Now as the General Assembly convenes for the 2025 legislative session, there are some new faces in the chambers.

Among them, Kim Holloway, who unseated incumbent Republican Representative Richard Heath and Western Kentucky's second House district.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to Holloway's home.

And Graves County to learn more about her priorities as a freshman legislator.

Political office is something I had never, ever contemplated in my life.

But that changed in 2020 when incoming Republican state House Representative Kim Holloway says she believes pandemic restrictions went too far.

And I waited and I waited for someone else to step up and say, I'm going to to do what I can to fix this.

And they never did.

There was a gross overreach of government and a serious violation of basic human rights.

She says she was disappointed the state legislatures Republican supermajority didn't do more to limit those restrictions.

Very impulsively, one night, while everyone else was a football game.

It just hit me out of nowhere.

I thought, you know, I could do this.

Holloway's candidacy in 2022 was disqualified due to a filing error.

But she ran again in 2024.

We knocked on every door that was on that primary list.

She defeated incumbent Richard Heath in office since 2012 and the Republican primary facing no opposition and the general election.

You know, it was like when you open a jack in the box, you know, you're wanting that box up and you know it's going to pop out at you.

But when it does, it still it still catches you by surprise.

Holloway and her family live on a farm in the Sedalia community of Graves County, less than ten miles from Mayfield.

We just live a very private and quiet life here, but it was important to me to start this journey.

MAYFIELD has been on a journey of recovery since devastating tornadoes three years ago that destroyed much of the city's infrastructure.

It has changed our town forever.

We are making progress.

Rebuilding efforts are underway, including a groundbreaking back in October on a new city hall and police department.

I think the priority for this community at this point is to continue to recover and to continue to be able to return to normalcy and to have all of those facilities intact.

As far as Holloway's priorities in Frankfort, she's an advocate for less taxation, calling herself a, quote, small government person.

I would say that my general philosophy on government is that it should be so quiet and uninvolved that you don't.

Know what's there.

She says while she does support lowering the state income tax, she thinks legislation to do so has been deceptive.

Expanding taxes on other services.

There was no discussion about how to cut spending.

There was no discussion about how to eliminate the income tax without having to raise taxes elsewhere.

And that's something that I would like to address, especially because a lot of those sales taxes are really harmful for Kentuckians.

She cites her own example as a farm family now paying taxes on electricity for their barn.

Holloway would also like to see more economic development and investment in western Kentucky.

We have a.

Lot of potential down here.

We have a lot of hidden gems, a lot of resources that may not be effectively utilized.

We're right here on this I-69 corridor, which is a great benefit to us.

As a newcomer to state politics.

Holloway says she hopes to inspire other Kentuckians to run for office and says she believes term limits should be imposed.

That would invite new political talent.

By staying there forever.

You stifle you.

You stifle some really good ideas.

During her campaign and since her election.

Holloway says she's had many conversations with constituents.

I've had Democrats and Republicans and people from all walks of life reach out about things that they're concerned about.

And when you really get to listening to them and talking to them, we don't really disagree on a whole lot.

We might just have different ideas about how it is best to accomplish those things.

I want the government to do less, and I want to do more as someone's neighbor.

This as Holloway now begins her first term as a state representative for Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you.

Laura Holloway's education, vision and experiences in mental health.

And she tells us she's currently drafting education related legislation.

Her district covers part of McCr