Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, has named Senate Transportation Chair Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, to the newly formed Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.

This task force was established from House Concurrent Resolution 72, sponsored by Rep. Tom Smith, R-Corbin. The task force will study and make recommendations regarding ports, freight and air terminals to review, correct, secure and expand economic development opportunities. This includes:

  • Ports for bulk river and rail service and transit terminals for trucking and air freight
  • The state of the current freight transportation system
  • Identifying gaps, where services are unavailable, existing facilities where backlogs exist, and where expansion is warranted
  • One-time and recurring funding opportunities to fund improvements and maintain the system.

“I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve built in my role not only as state senator for District 17 but also as Senate Transportation chair,” Higdon said. “Secretary Jim Gray and I work well together and the same is true of my colleagues with whom I will serve on this task force. We will take a holistic look at all modes of transportation during the interim with the big picture in mind. What takes place in one area can certainly impact another and we want to develop sound legislation that maximizes all of them.”

The members of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force are:

  • Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray — co-chair,
  • House Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles, R-Owensboro — co-chair,
  • Senate Transportation Chair Jimmy Higdon,
  • Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville,
  • Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London,
  • Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan,
  • Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville,
  • Rep. Chris Freeland, R-Benton,
  • Rep. Tom Smith, R-Corbin, and
  • Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, D-Martin

Each task force consists of 10 legislative members.

The House speaker appoints four members of the House majority.

The House minority floor leader appoints one member of the House minority.

The Senate president appoints four members of the Senate majority.

The Senate minority floor leader appoints one member of the Senate minority.

The Legislative Research Commission formed additional special committees to conduct business over the interim period and include the Task Force on School and Campus Security, the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force, the Health and Human Services Delivery System Task Force, the Certificate of Need Task Force, the Lottery Trust Fund Task Force and the Task Force on Local Government Annexation.

Each task force will submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by December 4.

Task force meetings will be live-streamed via the LRC YouTube Channel and ket.org/legislature. Archived footage of meetings can be accessed at KET.org/legislature/archives and on the LRC YouTube Channel. Follow the LRC Legislative Calendar for task force meeting information.