About Patti

Committed to Bowling Green

Patti is committed to the 20th District and to running a campaign that puts people over politics, learn more about the issues and Patti’s background and experience below.

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We live in difficult times that call for committed leadership. I’ve shown that commitment throughout my life, and it all started with how I was raised.

I’m Patti Minter and I represent House District 20 in the Kentucky House of Representatives. As a state representative, I’m committed to fighting every day for my constituents in Bowling Green. I’m committed to making sure we build a better Kentucky for all of us. And I’m committed to listening to you, which is why you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or email me at patti@pattiminterforky.com. Your voice deserves to be heard.

Kentucky is facing enormous challenges. Our public schools deserve our support, from kindergarten to higher education, and I’m committed to making education a priority in our state. I’m also committed to making sure we keep pension promises for all public employees – past, present, and future – and honoring those who have worked hard for our commonwealth by ensuring a safe and secure retirement. We also have to do more to support working families of all kinds across our state, and that’s why I’m fighting for affordable health care for all Kentuckians and well-paying jobs that families can rely on. Finally, Kentucky should be a place where all people feel welcome, regardless of who they are, where they’re from, or who they love. And I’m fighting to represent all Kentuckians of every stripe in Frankfort.

The values I strive to uphold as a state representative are the values with which my mom and dad raised me in our small hometown in rural east Tennessee. They showed me what it means to support families and communities every day. I’m proud to be a product of public schools, from attending elementary school in my tiny hometown to earning a PhD in history. I went on to teach history at Western Kentucky University, where I’ve worked for 28 years. I know how vital education is to our future because I’ve seen how education has transformed both my life and the lives of my students. And while I love teaching, I’ve also taken the lessons I’ve learned and taught in the classroom and applied them to our community by fighting for causes I’ve believed in my whole life.

For 33 years, I’ve been married to my wonderful husband, Michael. He couldn’t be more supportive of me, and I’m so lucky to have him by my side. We have one amazing son, Alex, who attends Bowling Green’s excellent public schools. Alex, among his many talents, is an academic team rock star, and I’m so proud to be his mother. Together, we love to travel, cook, host friends, enjoy concerts and musicals, and play with our adorable cats, Thor and the rescued Matilda and Felix. My family is my rock, and I’m so grateful for their support and love.

I’m committed to fighting for Kentucky because I believe it deserves a government as good as its people. If you’re willing to join me, contact me at patti@pattiminterforky.com to join our email list and find me on social media for regular updates about what’s happening in our state and how it will affect you. There’s so much work to do, but I won’t give up until we have a Kentucky that works for all Kentuckians. I hope you’ll join me.

I’m someone with the experience, ideas, and commitment to fight for the people of Bowling Green. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

Platform & Issues

Fighting for Good Paying Jobs

My father was a farmer and my mother was a schoolteacher. And they both taught me the value of good-paying jobs. Job growth in Bowling Green has been soaring, but too many new positions remain unfilled. I’m fighting to make higher education more affordable so workers can gain the skills they need. Public education is vital to creating a strong workforce, which means we have to invest in education rather than cutting it. We also have to ensure that no one is working hard every day and still living in poverty. The current minimum wage is not enough on which to pay rent and other living expenses, let alone support a family. I’ve supported legislation to raise Kentucky’s minimum wage because every person deserves to be valued for their work. Finally, I oppose efforts to undermine working people by cutting support for people who have fallen on hard times and cannot find a job, or making it easier for companies to avoid paying their workers overtime pay. Investing in our middle class is the best path to economic growth, and it starts with good-paying jobs.

Fighting for Affordable Health Care

Health care is a basic human right. Our health care system is failing working families, more and more of whom cannot afford the care they need. I believe that big drug companies and big insurance companies should be held accountable for pricing people out of their medication. Teaming up with a Republican colleague, I passed a major bipartisan bill to cap out-of-pocket expenses for insulin, which would help people living with diabetes like my son, Alex. I’m also committed to protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions. With those protections at risk at the federal level, I’ve introduced a bill to ensure that Kentuckians cannot be dropped from their coverage because of a condition like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. And I fully support efforts to protect expanded Medicaid. Thousands of Kentucky families rely on Medicaid for their health care, and Medicaid helps keep many hospitals and clinics open. We have to continue the fight to build a health care system that works for all of us.

Fighting for Workers’ Rights

I believe in the fundamental right of workers to organize. Labor unions have strengthened Kentucky throughout its history by fighting for many of the benefits, conditions, and rules we have today that protect workers. I strongly oppose any efforts to undermine unions, including “right to work”, which is intentionally designed to shut down unions and create a race to the bottom in Kentucky, as well as any policies during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at dismantling health protections for Kentucky workers. We shouldn’t want businesses to invest in Kentucky because our workers are the cheapest. We should want them to invest here because our workers are the best-suited to do the job. I’m fighting for workers to have a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that affect their pay, conditions, benefits, and families. Kentucky workers deserve no less.

Fighting for Public Education

I’ve been teaching for over two decades, and there are few greater honors than watching your students learn and grow before your eyes. I’m also a proud product of public schools. I believe we need more funding for all levels of education, from elementary to middle and high schools as well as higher education, and I will oppose budgets that cut important funding from our schools and universities. More education funding means smaller class sizes and more educational resources and opportunities for teachers and students. I support fair pay and benefits for teachers as well as their right to collective bargaining. I oppose charter schools and any other attempt to privatize public education and turn it into a for-profit endeavor. And I believe higher education should be more affordable and accessible. While serving on the Board of Regents at WKU, I saw how vital the university was to Bowling Green and students from across the region. When we cut funding to higher education, we push tuition higher and discard jobs and opportunities. I’ve cosponsored legislation to strengthen our public schools because public education at all levels should be funded, prioritized, and valued.

Fighting for Safe, Affordable Homes

Everyone deserves a safe, affordable home in which to live. I’ve lived in mine for two decades, and it’s a place of countless warm memories. But for many people, especially those who rent their homes, safe and affordable housing can sometimes be out of reach. Over 1.2 million Kentuckians – nearly a quarter of our population – lack access to affordable housing.As a member of the Affordable Housing Caucus, I support legislation to strengthen landlord-renter agreements and reduce the risk of exploitation for those who rent their homes. We should also work with federal and local officials, as well as non-profit groups, to increase the number of affordable housing units across Kentucky. Everyone deserves a safe, affordable home in which to live. It’s the right thing to do, and it makes our communities stronger.

Fighting for Safe, Steady Retirement

Long ago, Kentucky made a promise to its state employees: if you work hard, you’ll be able to retire with a guaranteed pension. I’ve been a state employee for 24 years, teaching history to students at Western Kentucky University. Like so many other state workers, I’ve counted on my pension being there to support my family when I retire. I strongly oppose any efforts to take away from state workers the pensions we have earned. We need to fully fund our pensions, and we can do so with tax reform that eliminates unnecessary loopholes and collects more revenue without burdening middle class and working class families. A pension is a promise, and I proudly stand with my fellow teachers and thousands of other state employees across Kentucky who want that promise kept. Every Kentuckian should be able to retire with dignity, and I will fight hard to make sure that happens.

Fighting for Common Sense Drug Policies

Kentucky’s drug policies need to be modernized. I support current efforts to legalize medical cannabis, an initiative widely supported by many in our community, including many veterans dealing with PTSD and others living with chronic illnesses. While legalizing medical cannabis would be a positive step for Kentucky, I believe more should be done to combat the epidemic of substance abuse sweeping our state, including opioids, fentanyl, and meth. I support policies that help reunite families who are torn apart by this crisis, including criminal justice reform that focuses on rehabilitation for drug offenses and other nonviolent crimes instead of incarceration. I also believe big pharmaceutical companies should be held accountable for reckless marketing and sales strategies. And I have advocated for strong treatment services for those who struggle with addiction. Rehabilitation and eliminating shame and stigma must be central to our approach on substance abuse, and I believe our state government has an important role to play.

Fighting for Equality for All

I am absolutely committed to the values of liberty and justice for everyone in Kentucky. I support full and automatic restoration of voting rights for convicted felons who have served their sentences. I am committed to pursuing racial justice, including reforming our state criminal justice system to eliminate racial disparities. I was a founding leader of the Bowling Green Fairness movement, which continues to fight for civil rights for LGBTQ people in our city. I’ve sponsored a statewide amendment to the Kentucky Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes from discrimination, and I strongly oppose any legislation that seeks to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. And I believe we should welcome immigrants for the contributions they bring to Kentucky, especially here in Bowling Green, which has the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the state. I oppose any discriminatory legislation targeting immigrant families and support protecting the hardworking people who come to our country for a better future.

I’m so proud to have been elected to represent the 20th District in the Kentucky House in 2018. Team Patti is now working hard to bring home another win in 2022, and with your help, we can keep this seat blue and move Kentucky forward!

Fighting for What Matters Most

The voices of Bowling Green deserve to be heard. That’s why I’ve been listening to you, showing up for you, and fighting for you. And I’ve shown that commitment throughout my life. I hope you’ll join me to keep up the fight in the 2022 election.

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