Dear Governor Beshear,

Congratulations on your victory.  You become the chief executive of Kentucky at a moment of deep divisions in our commonwealth and in our nation.  This is not an easy time for anyone to be governor.  You have experience as a public servant and your father’s experience to draw upon.  Both should serve you well.

While I do not envy anyone entering a leadership position in an era of division, I do think that our divisions offer some opportunities.  Clearly, teachers in Kentucky are a powerful force, and I think tapping into our teachers and schools can be a good starting point for impacting all of Kentucky.  In addition to the vital tasks of helping students to learn information, to learn how to think more clearly, and to mature as human beings, teachers are often the first line of defense for students suffering from developmental delays, medical issues, abuse, or neglect.  Finding inventive ways to weave the skills and insights of teachers into their various communities in Kentucky while also shoring up their pension system are highly advisable steps for upcoming legislative sessions.

Similarly, community service and charity are both widespread in Kentucky and an area of common cause.  I urge you to reach out to every Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis Club in Kentucky as well as to robustly promote the good works programs of the Kentucky Colonels.  Additionally, it would bring a sense of unity and energy to our state if you were to urge young people involved in service organizations ranging from various branches of the National Honor Society to scouting to redouble their efforts.  Beyond that, your words and deeds can help to unleash idealism found in Kentucky’s various governor’s schools, colleges, and universities.

Finally, steps taken on casino gambling, industrial hemp, and CBD oil will have lasting impacts on Kentucky.  A governor is not a dictator and the legislature will have to approve most if not all steps taken on these topics.  No way forward on these areas of concern is an obvious or perfect path.  Casinos can undermine people’s finances especially when gambling addiction becomes a factor.  Conversely, every state bordering Kentucky has legalized casino gambling.  In a state with multiple race tracks, a lottery, and horse farms that depend on race tracks remaining viable, legalizing casino gaming may seem to be obviously good.  If Kentucky does legalize casino gambling, it must also take steps to address the damages done by gambling addiction.  Similarly, Kentucky has a long history of cultivating hemp.  CBD oil, hemp fibers, and other hemp products offer Kentucky a great deal of economic opportunity.  These opportunities should not be ignored.  Yet, any legislative package attempting to broaden such opportunities will need to be well crafted as it will face a complex set of obstacles and concerns.

You are now governor of a state with deep divisions.  The pressing legislative issues you have inherited are complex and have drawbacks that accompany their potential benefits.  Yet, our state motto and the very name commonwealth may hold clues to the best avenues for you to take.  United We Stand Divided We Fall: Draw wisdom from that.  Remember that commonwealth comes from the 14th-century English word “commonweal” meaning general welfare or common good.  If uniting people and seeking the common good are your guiding principles, your governorship will have both a strong foundation and broad horizons.

All the best,

Daniel E. Martin, Ph.D.