Patrick Dunegan

💡 Job Creation: The District 40 “Workforce Connector” Plan

As your State Representative, I will champion the “Workforce Connector” strategy to create sustainable, high-wage jobs right here in District 40. This plan focuses on connecting our local workforce—especially those facing employment barriers—directly to the booming sectors of the Greater Louisville economy: Healthcare, Logistics, and Advanced Manufacturing.

The core of my legislative idea is to fully fund a state-level grant program for community-based organizations that provide “wrap-around” services alongside technical training. Our district has a higher poverty rate, and residents often face barriers like lack of affordable childcare, limited access to driver’s education/licensing, and the stigma of past convictions.

Instead of just offering job training, state funds will be dedicated to:

1. Skills-to-Jobs Pipeline: Partnering with local technical colleges to launch certified, short-term training programs for in-demand roles like Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Warehouse Automation Technicians, and Commercial Drivers (CDL prep).
2. Barrier Removal: Subsidizing essential support services like childcare stipends for trainees, transportation vouchers to get to job sites, and legal aid for non-violent conviction expungement. This directly addresses the equity gaps in our workforce.
3. Local Business Incentives: Offering targeted state tax credits (like an enhanced Kentucky Small Business Tax Credit) to District 40 businesses that hire program graduates and commit to a starting wage of at least $18/hour and employer-sponsored health insurance.

⚖️ Reforming Justice: The District 40 “Community Investment” Approach

District 40 deserves a justice system focused on rehabilitation, equity, and public safety, not excessive incarceration. My reform agenda centers on the “Community Investment” model, which shifts resources from mass incarceration toward local support and opportunity.

A critical first step is Cannabis Decriminalization and Legalization. The current system disproportionately targets minority communities for cannabis possession, creating lifelong barriers to housing and employment. As your State Representative, I will push for legislation that:

1. Immediately Decriminalizes possession of small amounts of cannabis statewide, making it a civil penalty.
2. Expunges past low-level cannabis convictions, restoring voting rights and employment eligibility to thousands of Kentuckians.
3. Legalizes and Regulates adult-use cannabis, dedicating the resulting tax revenue (estimated to be millions) directly into District 40’s public schools, mental health services, and job training programs—the core of the Community Investment model.

Beyond cannabis, I will champion Smart Sentencing Reform to end mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenses. We must also support Cash Bail Reform to ensure a person’s freedom doesn’t depend on their bank account, and fully fund public defenders and re-entry programs to reduce recidivism. This approach is not soft on crime; it is smart on prevention and builds stronger, safer communities by investing in people, not prisons.

🏠 Housing First: The District 40 Stable Neighbors Initiative

The crisis of homelessness in Louisville is a crisis of housing, not character. District 40 needs a State Representative committed to treating this issue with dignity and effective, evidence-based solutions. My Stable Neighbors Initiative is based on the proven “Housing First” model, which prioritizes getting people into safe, permanent housing without preconditions like sobriety or employment.

My legislative push in Frankfort will focus on three areas:

1. Stop the Criminalization of Poverty: We must repeal state laws, like the recent ban on street camping, that criminalize homelessness and force our neighbors into the justice system instead of supportive housing. Jail is not a solution to homelessness.
2. State-Level Housing-First Funding: Louisville relies heavily on federal funding, which is now facing state and federal uncertainty. I will introduce a bill to establish a dedicated, state-funded pool for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in Louisville by creating a modest, dedicated fee on large commercial real estate transfers. This PSH model has a near 98% success rate locally in keeping people housed and drastically reduces the cost of emergency room visits and police interactions.
3. Support for Local Organizations: I will advocate for increased state grants to local heroes like St. John Center and the Coalition for the Homeless to expand essential “wrap-around” services—case management, mental health counseling, job readiness, and assistance obtaining vital identification documents—which are the key to long-term stability once housing is secured.

⚕️ Quality Care for All: The District 40 “Health Equity Act”

In a city as strong as Louisville, no resident of District 40 should be denied quality healthcare due to their zip code or income. As your State Representative, I will champion the “Health Equity Act” to guarantee accessible and affordable care for every person in our community.

My legislative focus will be on protecting and expanding Medicaid, which is a lifeline for so many of our neighbors. I will fiercely oppose any attempts in Frankfort to impose harmful work requirements, steep co-pays, or disruptive changes that threaten coverage for Kentucky families.

However, access is more than just insurance. The Health Equity Act will also prioritize:

1. Mental Health Parity and Access: Pushing to fully fund community mental health centers and enforcing state laws that require insurance companies to cover mental healthcare at the same level as physical healthcare. We must embed counselors and mental health professionals in our public schools and community centers.
2. Addressing Healthcare Deserts: Introducing incentives and loan repayment programs for primary care doctors, pediatricians, and dentists who choose to practice in underserved areas of District 40. This is a critical step in making sure a check-up is a short trip, not an all-day ordeal.
3. Affordable Prescriptions: Fighting the pharmaceutical industry by supporting measures to cap the cost of essential life-saving drugs like insulin and requiring state transparency on drug pricing.

Guaranteeing quality, affordable healthcare is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right and a smart investment in the stability and well-being of our entire district.