The first day in the Kentucky General Assembly for the newest member of the State Senate was also the last day of the 2019 session.
Pikeville Attorney Phillip Wheeler took his seat last Thursday, representing Pike, Morgan, Martin, Lawrence, and Elliot counties. He won a special election to fill the seat once held by Ray Jones who is now Pike County Judge.
The Republican lawmaker says his grandfather, Charles D. Wheeler of Ashland served in the House from 1964 to 1972.
Wheeler says his grandfather unseated sitting House Speaker Harry King Lowman in his first bid for office. “He was here through the 60s. Led the way on the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and well as funding education. He was also Republican Caucus Chairman during that time under the Nunn administration. And I look forward to carrying on his tradition here as a Republican senator,” said Wheeler.
Wheeler says he looks forward to championing new economic investment in eastern Kentucky.
He believes the Appalachian region can still count on clean coal technology as part of the strategy.
© 2019 WEKU
