During the session, we've been introducing you to new lawmakers and the Kentucky House and Senate.

With just two days left, a former law enforcer.

Shares with our Mackenzie Sprague how his previous career prepared him for elected office.

Republican Representative Tony Hampton, a retired Scott County sheriff.

As we continue our series of profiles on the 2025 freshman class of the Kentucky General Assembly and.

Representative Tony Hampton is no stranger to public office.

He served as the Scott County Sheriff for 14 years before retiring and running for representative.

So my career in law enforcement started in 1994.

I started as a deputy sheriff in Scott County Sheriff's Office.

Throughout my career, I worked there.

I worked at the Georgetown Police Department.

I was a police chief in Stamping Ground for two years, and at that time, also I was hired by the Kentucky League of Cities for Risk Management, for law enforcement.

I had ran for sheriff twice before I won, so I ran in 2002.

Didn't win in 2006, didn't win and turn around 2010 and I won.

Honestly, at first I didn't think I wanted to do it, but ultimately I decided that I wanted to do something different.

After being in law enforcement for 30 years, the sheriff for 14 and also being state rep representing just Scott County, that's still my community.

And that was appealing to me.

That connection to his community is what he feels is his biggest strength coming into the legislative branch after being sheriff.

That and his law enforcement expertise.

The biggest thing is, is I really got to know my community, you know, sheriff, for four terms, 14 years, you know, the long year in public office, more you get to know your community.

I think it has a lot of value.

There are probably including myself.

I'm a retired sheriff.

There's two retired Kentucky state troopers and a retired police chief.

And I'm very interested in bills related to law enforcement, of course.

So I think I can bring a lot of value to that.

And that was basically the first two bills I introduced was with the chiefs of Police and the Sheriffs Association, which I was up on that board for 12 years and a past president in 2021.

Those two bills were House Bill 340, which related to federal criminal background checks, and House Bill 437, which would require officers of the Department for Alcoholic Beverage Control to meet peace officer professional standards in order to make arrests.

I was approached by the Kentucky Chiefs Association and the Kentucky Sheriffs Association, and there were some ABC officers out there that were not Pop certified but had arrest powers, and that was concerning for them and me as well, because I know the importance of training and I know how dangerous it can be out there when you're possibly arresting people.

And we really don't have any formal training in that.

While both bills are still trying to cross the finish line, Representative Hampton says this session for him was about learning.

It's all been more than what I expected as far as the job.

It's a very busy job.

If you take it seriously, it's very busy.

It's very rewarding as well, though, to be able to vote on a lot of important bills that have come through the House, so I've enjoyed it.

My first bill I voted on was the House Bill one to lower the income tax rate by half percent, so I was proud to that have that was my first vote.

I want to learn slowly.

I then more rush in and start introducing a lot of bills until I know what I'm doing.

And I've had some.

We have good leadership in our caucus.

I have a good mentor who's a retired police chief, and he's representative.

So the big thing is learning the process, taking my time.

And, then as I go and get more confidence, I'll introduce more bills.

Representative Hampton says that while he knows he can't vote to make everyone happy, he wants his constituents to know that he takes representing them very seriously.

I just want them to know that, you know, I'm going to work hard and do the best I can.

I'm not going to rush to judgment on anything.

I'm open to listening to people and their concerns.

And at the end of the day, I'll vote the way I feel.

I need to vote.

So, you know, I want everyone to know that I take this job seriously and everyone's opinion matters to me.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.