Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has appointed an advisory group to study policies that will help foster children, the disabled and others get a job.
Bevin announced the Kentucky Work Matters Task Force on Tuesday at the Capitol.
Bevin said 54.7% of the state's workforce has a job, which is below the national average of 62.9%. Kentucky's disabled population is 15.7%, while the national average is 10.4%.
The task force includes some of Bevin's cabinet secretaries, state lawmakers from both major political parties and citizens.
Bevin said the group will work closely with the U.S. Department of Labor and present a final report to him with policy recommendations to help foster children, people with disabilities, disabled veterans and people with addictions and criminal records.
Members of the Task Force (from a release):
- Adam Meier, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Bevin
- Secretary Scott Brinkman, Executive Cabinet
- Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson, Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Secretary John Tilley, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
- Secretary Derrick Ramsey, Labor Cabinet
- Secretary Hal Heiner, Education and Workforce Development
- Secretary Tom Stephens, Personnel Cabinet
- Secretary Greg Thomas, Transportation Cabinet
- Vivek Sarin, Cabinet for Economic Development executive officer
- Deputy Commissioner Bryan Hubbard, Division of Income Support
- Buddy Hoskinson, Department for Aging and Independent Living
- Commissioner Beth Kuhn, Department of Workforce Investment
- Commissioner Stephen Pruitt, Department of Education
- President Bob King, Council on Postsecondary Education
- Senator John Schickel
- Senator Robin Webb
- Representative Jim DeCesare
- Representative Arnold Simpson
- Katie Shepherd, Kentucky Supreme Court designee
- Mike Michalak, citizen at-large (Shelbyville)
- Katie Wolf Whaley, citizen at-large (Lexington)
- Beth Davisson, citizen at-large (Louisville)
- Tim McGurk, citizen at-large (Prospect)
