Damon Thayer, a mainstay within the Kentucky Senate who performed a key position in legalizing sports activities wagering and helped form rafts of conservative insurance policies, stated Wednesday that he will not run for reelection subsequent 12 months.
Thayer has spent greater than a decade as majority flooring chief within the GOP-led Senate, placing him on the forefront of the chamber’s actions. He’s the longest-serving Republican to serve in that management publish in Kentucky historical past, in response to a launch saying his resolution to not search one other time period.
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“I have accomplished most of the political and policy goals I set out to achieve,” Thayer stated within the launch. “I am grateful to the residents of the 17th District who granted me the honor of representing them in the Senate, and to my colleagues in the GOP caucus for the privilege of being their majority leader.”
The Georgetown Republican, who has a 12 months remaining in his present time period, stated he made the choice to step down after subsequent 12 months after conversations together with his grownup youngsters, shut associates and colleagues.
Senate Chief Damon Thayer, who was instrumental in passing sports activities betting within the state, might be stepping down.
The tip of his time period will mark 22 years within the Senate and 12 of them as majority flooring chief. His district contains Grant and Scott counties and parts of Fayette and Kenton counties.
Thayer achieved one among his long-running coverage objectives this 12 months when a invoice to legalize sports activities betting in Kentucky received closing legislative approval shortly earlier than the session ended. The measure cleared the final hurdle within the Senate after days of uncertainty over whether or not backers may muster sufficient help.
Through the debate, Thayer stated: “We love our sports in the commonwealth. And people want to be able to make the choice — of their own free will — to make a wager on a sports event.”
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear just lately stated that Kentucky has collected stronger than projected tax revenues from sports activities wagering within the weeks since betting on ballgames began. Thayer has been a frequent critic of the governor, however the two discovered frequent floor on the sports activities wagering challenge.
Thayer gained a popularity as a number one advocate for Kentucky’s thoroughbred racing, bourbon and tourism industries. He supported of laws for wagering on historic racing machines — a profitable income supply tapped into by the state’s racetracks. Historic racing machines enable individuals to guess on randomly generated, previous horse races. The video games usually present video of condensed horse races. The tracks have reinvested a few of the income to make Kentucky’s horse racing circuit extra aggressive.
He backed a measure to section out the property tax on the worth of barrels of ageing spirits — a key challenge for bourbon producers. And he secured $75 million for tourism restoration following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thayer’s conservative credentials included help for right-to-work laws and repeal of prevailing wage. He supported a tax overhaul in 2022 that can section out particular person revenue taxes in Kentucky.
His fellow Republican, Senate President Robert Stivers, stated Wednesday that Thayer “has brought such conviction and passion to creating conservative legislation in Kentucky.”
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With one 12 months left in his time period, Thayer stated he’ll pursue the Senate GOP’s coverage objectives with the “vigor and enthusiasm people have come to expect” within the 2024 session, which begins in early January.
One other Georgetown Republican, state Rep. Phillip Pratt, introduced on the identical day that he will not search one other time period in 2024. Pratt is chairman of the Home Small Enterprise and Data Know-how Committee. Pratt stated he’ll serve the rest of his present time period, including that he hopes to “have an opportunity to accomplish a few more things before it ends.”
