A Kentucky lawmaker has pre-filed a bill that would require many state leaders—including the governor—to visit the state’s most eastern and western counties before taking office.State Rep. Kenny Imes, a Murray Republican, has sponsored the bill. It requires policy makers in the executive cabinet and their deputies to drive—not fly—to Fulton and Pike Counties at least six months before they take office. It does not reimburse their travel costs.It's 326 miles from the state Capitol building in Frankfort to the Fulton County courthouse in Hickman, according to Google Maps. It's 167 from the Capitol to the Pike County courthouse in Pikeville.Imes says high-ranking officials need to get out of the bubble of Frankfort and the so-called “Golden Triangle” of Louisville, Lexington and Covington.“This is just to try to get them out seeing the geography of it and understanding the problems we face, transportation or otherwise, just the sheer distance, and also how different policies, these are all policy-making people, you know, how those might affect the people out in the east and the west," Imes says.Imes says his bill takes inspiration from the example set by State Agriculture Commissioner James Comer. Comer has visited all 120 counties since being elected to office.
