Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has appointed State Rep. John Tilley (D-Hopkinsville) to serve as Secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Tilley is currently serving in his fifth term in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He is a former prosecutor and is nationally-recognized for his work on criminal justice reform and drug policy.
He is also the first Democrat appointed by the Republican Governor to a cabinet position.
“I am pleased to announce that John Tilley will serve as Secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet,” said Bevin in a release. “He is well qualified to lead the effort to keep our citizens safe and improve our criminal justice system. He will bring a high level of passion and innovation to this role. John will be a strong advocate for our state police, prosecutors, public defenders, corrections officers and all other Justice Cabinet employees.”
In the release, Tilley says he's honored to serve in the Bevin administration.
“I have a passion for public safety and the Governor and I have discussed a vision for the Justice Cabinet that protects citizens, restores victims and reforms wrongdoers; all in a focused environment where everything we do will be measured for accountability and performance," said Tilley.
"I look forward to working closely with the Governor to identify and select the best possible people to lead the Kentucky State Police and Corrections, among other key roles in the Justice Cabinet."
Tilley is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and Chase College of Law. He is currently a board member for the Council of State Government's (CSG) Justice Center and co-chairs The National Conference of State Legislatures' (NCSL) Law and Criminal Justice Committee.
Tilley's appointment will trigger a special election in his district.
