One of the state's Capitol's most powerful leaders, is moving on from Frankfort for now.

Outgoing Kentucky's Senate majority leader, Damon Thayer, started out as treasurer of the Grand County GOP, then vice chair of the Republican Party of Kentucky.

After dedicating decades to politics, Thayer, who didn't seek reelection, told us Friday he may make another political run in a few years.

But for now, he says, he's focused on two other favorite Kentucky pastimes Bourbon and horses.

So at the time we taped this interview, there were, I think, 31 days until the Kentucky General Assembly reconvenes.

And you have no buyer's remorse about not being there on the opening day.

I don't I don't even think I'll watch.

I'm I did 22 years, 12 years as leader and I've been ready to make this change.

And I know a lot of people are having a hard time figuring out why someone would walk away sort of at the peak of power.

I mean, I think being the Senate majority floor leader is one of the top five elected jobs in state government.

And I've been very blessed and privileged to have that job for 12 years.

And being a state senator for 22 is something I never foresaw.

When I moved to Kentucky in 1992.

Right.

You've got that power right now at such a young age.

I just feel like there are other things I want to do.

I want to write a new chapter.

I want to work on my private sector interests.

And I just want to step away from this particular job, this political job, for a little while and maybe detox a little bit.

And, you know, I'm really excited about my private sector pursuits and I really wasn't able to put the time and energy into those because of my job in the legislature.

And I gave that job.

Everything I have and been majority floor leader is a really hard job.

What do you know about the Senate GOP priorities for a short session?

And we know that incoming leader Wise has said that I will be a front burner issue.

Do you think that that issue needs to be revisited again?

And what does Kentucky gain by honing in on that issue when some believe that the economy by which perhaps President Trump won his election is what voters care most about?

Yeah, that's a really good series of questions.

So I'm going to try to answer them all.

I think the top priority of the of the House and Senate Republican will be enacting a fourth cut in the personal income tax.

I was with Speaker Osborne at a conference this week and he told me that their plan during the first four days is for the House to pass the next tax cut, which will take the personal income tax down to three and a half percent.

Even though we have the news this week about the revenue declining.

Well, that that's going to be up to them.

But I believe the triggers are in place still satisfied and that's the proudest collective accomplishment of Republicans in my time in Frankfort is cutting the income tax rate.

And I do think that says we are focusing on the economy.

We do understand why President Trump was elected again.

And I think the economy I agree with you.

I think it was the economy and I think it was the border.

And in Kentucky, we can do a lot about the economy based on the tax code.

However, pivoting to the latter part of your question, you know, based on the results of the question, based on the results of the election and the fact that you've got five rural legislators in leadership in the Senate and and the fact that we didn't pass a bill last year because negotiations broke down between the House and the Senate, I think clearly that's going to be a major issue.

Now, I do think it is telling that universities are making wholesale changes in their policies without a bill even passing, which tells me that the legislature has influence, even when a bill doesn't pass.

Right.

Right.

And I think the universities are making a good decision because I think I think I think what you're probably going to see move forward is a bill that is going to be almost as strong or maybe stronger than the one that passed the House last year.

Now, we did have the votes to pass it in the Senate.

There were some concerns about its constitutionality, but membership has changed.

And I think you could argue that based on the election and the leadership races, that the Senate Republican Caucus is moving rightward on social issues.

So let's talk about you.

Oh, gee, you know, I'm kind of a moderate.

I know.

And I know you're really shy and don't want to brag or boast, but what's next for you?

And you alluded to some of your private interests.

What are they?

Well, I, along with my business partner, Andre Regard, I am the co-founder of Kentucky Senator Spirits.

Our main brand is Kentucky Senator Bourbon.

Each release named after a US senator from Kentucky.

And I'm going to be focusing a lot of time on that.

We're scaling up operations and production and sales.

As a matter of fact, this week we've been out at Castle and Key Distillery laying down new barrels of Kentucky Senator Bourbon that will age for at least six years out there at Castle in KY.

So I'm going to be spending a lot of time doing that.

And then my consulting business on the horse racing and racetrack side is something I wanted to grow but couldn't because of the time in the legislature.

So I'm talking to people in a lot of other states about helping them with racetrack operations and giving advice about how they can recreate some of the success we have in Kentucky and their state.

And then I'm going to see what comes my way.

But I think the simple answer is I'm going to be doing horses and bourbon and travel.

And you can't go wrong with either one of those.

And all three together is even better.

Right?

Horses, bourbon politics is kind of the Kentucky trifecta.

Right?

Right.

And I've been focusing on those.

And I'm just going to be a little less focused on politics and more on horses and bourbon and traveling to see horses.

So to see horse racing and other other places.

You can see part one of my interview with State Senator Damon Fair from Friday online when he talks about those other interests to come at Kate Dawgs Kentucky Edition, the 2025 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly begins Tuesday, January 7th, and Kate will be there with exclusive coverage, gavel to gavel both on air and online.