Keturah J. Herron is an American politician from Kentucky. They are a Democrat and represent District 42 in the State House.[1] When elected in 2022, they were the first out LGBTQ+ member in the Kentucky House of Representatives.[2] They are only the second out member of the Kentucky General Assembly following Ernesto Scorsone, former state senator, who came out while in office in 2003. After Scorsone left the legislature in 2008, there was no LGBTQ+ representation in either chamber until Herron.[3]
Keturah Herron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 42nd district | |
| Assumed office February 28, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Reginald Meeks |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1980 |
| Political party | Democratic |
Herron was named as one of USA Today's Women of the Year in 2022, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact.[4]
Herron is running for the Kentucky Senate in 2024.
Early life and education
editHerron is from Richmond, Kentucky where they grew up in a single parent home with their mother.[7]
Keturah graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelors of Art in sports management[8] and from Eastern Kentucky University with a Masters of Art in corrections and juvenile justice.[8][9][10]
Political career
editIn their time in the House of Representatives, Herron has worked to address issues around gun violence and has pushed for an Office of Community Safety. Herron has also worked towards restoring voting rights to those who were formerly incarcerated. They have also advocated for pay raises for teachers.[11]
2022 marked Herron's first bill passed on the House floor, HR 644, which aimed to establish an office of gun violence prevention. During their campaigning in 2022, they focused on several highlighted key issues such as voter rights/restoration, criminal justice reform, increasing the minimum wage, education/workforce issues, and child abuse and violence prevention. Herron is often credited for getting Breonna Taylor's law passed through the Louisville Metro Council, an ordinance banning “No-Knock” warrants. In just 17 days following the death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of Louisville police, Herron pushed to have Breonna's Law—which outlaws no-knock warrants—passed by the Louisville Metro Council. Less than a year later, they formed a bipartisan coalition that successfully passed a statewide prohibition on no-knock warrants via the General Assembly.[12][13]
References
edit- ^ "Legislator-Profile - Legislative Research Commission". legislature.ky.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ "Kentucky Elects First Out House Member, Keturah Herron". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Kentucky state senator announces he is gay (10035)". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Meet USA TODAY's Women of the Year". USA Today. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ Migdon, Brooke (2022-02-24). "Kentucky elects first openly LGBTQ+ House member". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Keturah Herron Runs Historic Kentucky House Race". Queer Kentucky. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Keturah Herron Runs Historic Kentucky House Race". Queer Kentucky. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b "Legislator-Profile - Legislative Research Commission". legislature.ky.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ Winkler, Makenzie (May 10, 2023). "Criminal Justice Program Helped Prepare Student for Colonels at the Capitol Internship". EKU Stories. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "Vote Smart | Facts For All". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Keturah J. Herron". JustLeadershipUSA. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ "Metro Council passes Breonna's Law, "No-Knock" warrants are banned for LMPD". LouisvilleKy.gov. June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Meet Kentucky's newest lawmaker, Rep. Keturah Herron". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.