KENTUCKY — Every day, women are making history, stamping their mark as inventors, engineers, politicians and much more. Women’s History Month started in 1981 as a week-long celebration, and now each year during the month of March, we continue to highlight a fresh wave of women who are driven to forge new paths to the future.
One woman in the Commonwealth who is breaking barriers for women in leadership roles is Kentucky State Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville. Armstrong’s senate district serves areas like Audubon Park, Seneca Gardens and Hollow Creek. She was first a Democratic member of the Louisville Metro Council before becoming a state senator back in March 2023. U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., had previously served as the 19th District’s representative in the state senate before his election to serve in Congress.
During this In Focus Kentucky segment, Armstrong discusses the transition from serving in local to state politics, and how she balances life as a legislator, parent of two kids and wife.
“It has been very different. When I was on Metro Council, I passed over 80 ordinances in two years. I was really legislatively active. But I think in some ways, I thought coming and being in the super minority, I wouldn’t be able to get things done. And I don’t think that’s the case. It’s actually been surprising to me how willing people are to talk with you to work across the aisle. Whenever you have a good idea of people listen, and so it’s been really, it’s given me a lot of hope to see that,” explained Armstrong.
Also in this segment, Armstrong shares her push for Senate Bill 12, Kentucky’s Child Tax Credit bill, “As a mom and as a Kentucky fan, it really hurts my heart to look at the statistics on the number of our Kentucky kids who live in poverty. It is currently more than one in five children who live in poverty in our state. And if that doesn’t break your heart, I don’t. It’s something that I think we should all just feel so deeply. And so that’s the goal of this policy. The goal is to allow lower-income families to have money in their pocket to meet the needs of their children so that those children have the opportunity to thrive.”
You can watch the full ‘In Focus Kentucky’ segment in the player above.