Senator Damon Thayer Again Recognized as MVP for Kentucky Businesses


Only Senator With a 100 Percent Voting Record in the 2023 Legislative Session

FRANKFORT, KY (September 13, 2023) — Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) received another Kentucky Chamber of Commerce MVP award for his commitment to ensuring Kentucky’s growth, creating and retaining jobs, strengthening businesses and improving competitiveness throughout the commonwealth. Thayer is an eight-time award recipient and is this year’s only senator scoring a 100 percent on his business-friendly voting record. 

“I value this recognition because it reminds the constituents of Senate District 17 that I am effectively doing my job as Senate majority floor leader, ensuring we are collectively doing all we can to make Kentucky the best state in the nation to do business,” Thayer said. 

“I will continue to work with the chamber, my colleagues in the Kentucky General Assembly, and all our partners in the business community and our signature industries to make each year ahead better than the previous one. Kentucky has experienced historic economic momentum since 2017, when we began implementing fiscally conservative policies with our House Republican colleagues. Our horse racing and bourbon industries are as strong as ever. I’m proud of what we are accomplishing.”

According to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, this year’s MVP recipients showed strong leadership for the business community by sponsoring or carrying Kentucky Chamber priority legislation to final passage, showing leadership on the passage of critical legislation to improve Kentucky, or by taking hard votes in defense of business. Thayer was recognized with the MVP award alongside 13 other legislators. 

Thayer’s top priorities for the 2023 session included important policy goals backed by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, including further reduction of working Kentuckians’ income taxes, passing sports betting legislation, a ban on ‘gray machines,’ and much more.

A long-time supporter of sports betting, Thayer carried House Bill 551 to final passage in the Senate. The measure was sponsored by Representative Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, and previously championed by former northern Kentucky state Representative Adam Koenig. As a member of Senate leadership, Thayer was instrumental in securing support for House Bill 551, supporting tax reform legislation such as House Bill 1 and Kentucky’s signature horse and bourbon industries. He also contributed to defeating legislation that would be costly for job creators.

“Leader Thayer once again delivered in a big way for the business community, helping to shepherd sports betting, opposing a harmful data privacy bill, and helping to drive down our personal income tax among several other victories throughout the session,” said Ashli Watts, President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “His tireless commitment to our signature bourbon and equine industries is critical to the success we have seen in recent years, and we applaud him once again for going to bat for Kentucky businesses.”

Visit THIS LINK to learn more about the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 results for Kentucky businesses, and CLICK HERE for more details on MVP award recipients. 

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