FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Democratic lawmakers and labor groups are calling for $400 million in “hero pay” for essential workers, saying they have kept the lights on and shelves stocked during the pandemic. 

What You Need To Know

  • Lawmakers and labor groups met in Frankfort Thursday, Feb. 24

  • They are calling for the General Assembly to include COVID bonuses in the budget

  • Workers from the fields of construction, education and transportation shared their experiences

  • Rep. Buddy Wheatley plans to file a resolution in support of the premium pay

“We worked tirelessly, 10, 12, 15 hours a week every day, nonstop working hard trying to get food out,” said Jonathan Cosby of Zenith Logistics. 

He joined lawmakers and labor groups Thursday to push for COVID bonuses in the budget for essential workers.

“It was draining,” said Wendy Young, a teacher who said she would make up songs to keep her students engaged during remote learning. 

Workers in fields including transportation, construction and education talked about the challenges of being on the front lines of the pandemic.

“In addition to our normal daily run volume, COVID-19 has placed a huge psychological and physical burden on our members,” said Joe Baer with the Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association. “We’ve had to isolate from our families for weeks, or months at a time in order to protect them from our daily exposures ... To not use a portion of these funds in any other manner is a slap in the face to these folks that have sacrificed so much.”

Rep. Buddy Wheatley (D, Covington) plans to file a resolution calling for the General Assembly and the governor to award American Rescue Plan Act premium pay to frontline and essential workers. 

“We are saying, with the ARPA funds that are available, we are calling upon the majority party to join us in this effort to award the $400 million to these deserving workers,” he said.

Budget negotiations are planned for next month. 

Thursday morning, a Senate committee passed Senate Bill 194, which would give a tax rebate for every working Kentucky taxpayer of up to $500, with a maximum of $1000 per household. 

Republicans said it would be based on tax returns filed last year, with checks arriving in late spring. 

Wheatley said he had not looked at the legislation yet. 

“It’s a positive. I believe that there is some movement that way, but we have to look at the details,” he said. 

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