Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear state of the Commonwealth highlights
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear talks about not moving left or right but moving people forward in the Commonwealth
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear attended the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to recruit businesses to the state.
- The taxpayer-funded trip, which also included stops in Finland and Sweden, cost nearly $40,000.
- Beshear defended the trip as a necessary part of securing foreign investment and creating jobs for Kentuckians.
- Republican critics accused the governor of using the trip for political self-indulgence and to build a national profile.
Gov. Andy Beshear once again jetted off to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in late January with hopes of bringing Kentuckians new jobs and economic development investments.
For the second consecutive year, Beshear, who said he is the first Kentucky governor to be invited to the esteemed global business conference, attended the World Economic Forum where he met with 260 business leaders over the course of the week-long trip and spoke on two panels.
In addition to attending the forum, Beshear also made stops in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden with his wife and First Lady of Kentucky Britainy Beshear, Jeff Noel, the secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, and two staffers.
Beshear categorized the trip as an economic development focused mission for state officials, noting the goals of the trip included speaking to current foreign employers and recruiting prospective businesses to come work in the Bluegrass State.
“These foreign trips result in Kentucky jobs,” Beshear told The Courier Journal. The governor pointed to another recent trip in October to the United Kingdom, France and Ireland, which he said directly resulted in more than 400 jobs coming to Kentucky.
Yet despite these gains, the nearly $40,000 taxpayer funded trip to the World Economic Forum, and additional stops in Sweden and Finland, have raised criticism from state politicians.
In a statement, the Republican Party of Kentucky said, “The Governor loves to lecture everyone else about bipartisanship, transparency, and focusing on the ‘real issues,’ but when it’s time to lead, he disappears. Kentuckians deserve a governor who shows up and does his job. Instead, Andy Beshear is skipping town, dodging responsibility, and chasing headlines as he tries to build a national profile for a presidential campaign that’s already six feet under. Republicans are here, doing real work, while Beshear is making excuses and chasing attention.”
State Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, who filed an open records request for expenses on Beshear’s January trip, took to X criticizing the spending, posting, “Beshear isn’t focused on the financial struggles of Kentucky families, he’s focused on running for President. He’s too busy jet-setting on the taxpayers’ tab, rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful. This isn’t leadership; it’s political self-indulgence.”
Those records, which Roberts shared with The Courier Journal, show the trip cost $40,252. In a justification for the trip on the expense report, state officials wrote that if Beshear were to travel and meet with companies individually rather than meeting with a plethora of companies at once like he did in January, it would take “approximately five separate trips with an added cost of $30-40,000 per trip.”
For Beshear, the criticisms are muted. The governor said foreign trips focused on investment and job creation back home are necessary for the commonwealth to continue to grow.
Public records show that Kentucky exported more than $16 million to Finland and more than $122 million to Sweden in 2024. On this trip, the team was focused on 17 new and existing economic development projects that support more than 1,200 existing jobs and “hundreds of potential new jobs” for Kentucky.
“If you’re not taking these trips, you’re not in the game,” Beshear said. “The governor is the best salesman for a state and so I get out there and do my best.”
Beshear also said he is confident the January trip will result in further investment, specifically in the aerospace and automotive sectors. He talked with eight prospective companies looking to invest in U.S. operations, Beshear said. Additionally, he said he spoke with companies that have an established Kentucky presence about potential future opportunities including DHL, L’Oreal, Schneider Electric and others.
“We will see new jobs come out of this trip,” Beshear said. “… I believe we will hear about new locations or expansions directly attributable to conversations we had. We are going to get a return for the people of Kentucky.”
Upon his return, The Courier Journal sat down with Beshear to discuss the recent trip.
The following interview has been edited for context and clarity.
Courier Journal: Why is (the trip) important for all of us in the state?
Beshear: “Let’s say you travel to Japan. Japan is our largest foreign direct investor. You look at the number of jobs that Toyota has, and every governor has gone over, every governor since 1986 has gone over to thank Toyota and to talk to them because they are constantly reinvesting and the importance of that direct relationship with the CEO, with the current leadership, because you want to be top of mind.
“If they’re thinking about doing an addition and they’ve got six or seven plants around the world that it could occur at, you want Kentucky to be top of mind. But as new industries are building out, you want to be in front of those employers too. One of the most important things you can do is tell them as governor you will be personally involved in getting their project up and running.”
CJ: What is your response to the criticism of this trip?
Beshear: “Every governor in the country takes these trips. Every governor in the country is trying to secure these jobs. If I didn’t take these trips, we wouldn’t get them. … We are careful about how we do it. We are respectful of the public’s tax dollars, but we also work our tails off when we’re out there.
“A trip over six days where you meet with 260 business leaders means you’re not sightseeing during the day; you were working meeting after meeting after meeting.”
CJ: Is there anything else you would like to share about your trip?
Beshear: “We are part of a global economy. We have thousands upon thousands of jobs that are created by companies that are based in another country, and you’ve got to walk through that door, you’ve got to be able to look that CEO in the eye, you’ve got to show them the respect of coming to them. (Former Gov. Matt) Bevin took a lot of these trips. (Former Gov.) Steve Beshear took a lot of these trips. Every governor before me has done it because that’s what it takes to make sure our people have good jobs.”
Contact Business Reporter Olivia Evans at [email protected] or on X at @oliviamevans_.
