Kentucky chamber launches pension awareness campaign

by Nathan Lyttle –

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says it will pay for billboards and newspaper ads to raise awareness about Kentucky’s public pension debt.

Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson said Kentucky’s $36 billion public pension debt would require every Kentuckian to pay $8,268 just to pay it off. He said the campaign will call for an audit of all of Kentucky’s public pension systems.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has proposed cutting state spending by $650 million over the next two years and putting the savings toward the pension debt. Adkisson said the campaign will not urge support of Bevin’s budget proposal, which has caused controversy for its cuts to state colleges and universities among other programs.

The chamber’s campaign also includes social media outreach and a website.