Laura A. Rice
Laura Rice was a 2014 candidate for the District 9 of the Louisville, Kentucky City Council.
Biography
Rice holds a J.D. from the University of Louisville School of Law. Her professional experience includes working as a lawyer and as a licensed realtor.[1]
Issues
Minimum wage
At a debate with her District 9 opponent, Bill Hollander, on September 22, 2014, Rice expressed reservations over whether or not to raise Louisville's minimum wage, saying, "We do have to consider whether or not Louisville will be considered a, competitive place to bring businesses and to bring jobs to this area. We need to send a message that we are open for business. It has been over 10 years since we’ve had a major corporation bring big jobs to the Louisville area and we need to ask ourselves why that is the case."[2]
Elections
2014
The city of Louisville, Kentucky held elections for city council on November 4, 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. In the Democratic primary for District 9, Bill Hollander defeated Stephen P. Imhoff, Greg Bourke, Bette Niemi, Jane Natalie Bennett, Jason Clark, Benjamin Vaughan, Jonathan Mussel White, J.P. Davis, Mike Brooks, Geoffrey Morris, Chris Hartley and Mollie Younger Noe. Laura A. Rice (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary. Hollander defeated Rice in the general election.[3][4][5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Bill Hollander |
61.3% | 7,943 | |
| Republican | Laura A. Rice | 38.6% | 5,000 | |
| Other | Write-in | 0.1% | 10 | |
| Total Votes | 12,953 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Clerk's Office - 2014 General Election Results | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bill Hollander |
27.7% | 1,288 | ||
| Stephen P. Imhoff | 6.3% | 294 | ||
| Greg Bourke | 3.4% | 158 | ||
| Bette Niemi | 5.3% | 244 | ||
| Jane Natalie Bennett | 6.8% | 315 | ||
| Jason Clark | 0.5% | 23 | ||
| Benjamin Vaughan | 2.2% | 100 | ||
| Jonathan Mussel White | 3.2% | 149 | ||
| J.P. Davis | 10.7% | 496 | ||
| Mike Brooks | 7.3% | 339 | ||
| Geoffrey Morris | 2.8% | 129 | ||
| Chris Hartley | 18.7% | 871 | ||
| Mollie Younger Noe | 5.2% | 240 | ||
| Total Votes | 4,646 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Clerk - Official primary election results |
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Campaign themes
2014
On her campaign website, Rice highlighted the following issues:[7]
Taxes
- Excerpt: "...I will be critical of future proposals for any tax increases in Louisville. For example, I voiced my opposition to the LG&E tax increase to Councilwoman Ward-Pugh and will vote against it when it reappears before Metro Council. The tax increase narrowly passed Metro Council despite citywide opposition. Even Greater Louisville, Inc., urged its members to oppose the additional franchise fee arguing that our tax structure in Louisville already burdens business and that this particular fee disproportionately affected the Urban Services District. It is my belief that our locally elected officials should be more responsive to constituents when voting on tax changes; the LG&E tax increase is overwhelmingly unpopular with residents of district 9 I have met while campaigning."
V.A. Hospital
- Excerpt: "...I will advocate keeping the facility to benefit veterans in our community. I would like to see the hospital repurposed for assisted living, nursing homes, or rehabilitation facilities. It is imperative that a plan be in place for the facility so that adjacent property owners are not adversely affected after the closing of the hospital."
Public Safety
- Excerpt: "All residents of district 9 have a right to feel safe and secure in their homes. If elected to Metro Council, I will work closely with the Louisville Metro Police Department and neighborhood leaders so that information about criminal activity is quickly and reliably disseminated to residents. I will also work with LMPD to help educate residents on how to minimize the risk of being victimized."
Rice elaborated on her 2014 campaign platform in an interview with Louisville's WLKY in September 2014. Video can be viewed here.
See also
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Louisville, Kentucky city council elections, 2014
- United States municipal elections, 2014
External links
- Jefferson County Clerk - Official candidate list
- Jefferson County Clerk - Unofficial primary election results
- Official campaign website
Footnotes
- ↑ Campaign Website, "About Candidate," accessed August 27, 2014
- ↑ WFPL, "Wage Hike Provides Dividing Line in Louisville Metro Council District 9 Debate," September 23, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2014 Kentucky Election Calendar," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ Louisville/Jefferson County Election Center, "Jefferson County Candidate Filings," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ Louisville/Jefferson County Election Center, "Unofficial primary election results," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Jefferson County Clerk, "2014 Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Campaign Website, "Issues," accessed August 27, 2014
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