Ernie Fletcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ernie Fletcher
Official portrait
60th Governor of Kentucky
In office December 9, 2003 – December 11, 2007
Lieutenant	Steve Pence
Preceded by	Paul E. Patton
Succeeded by	Steve Beshear
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 6th district
In office January 3, 1999 – December 8, 2003
Preceded by	Scotty Baesler
Succeeded by	Ben Chandler
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 78th district
In office January 1, 1995 – January 1, 1997
Preceded by	Leslie Trapp
Succeeded by	Tom McKee (redistricting)
Personal details
Born	Ernest Lee Fletcher (1952-11-12) November 12, 1952 (age 72) Mount Sterling, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Glenna Foster ​ (m. 1970)​
Alma mater	University of Kentucky (BS, MD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	U.S. Air Force
Years of service	1974–1980
Rank	Captain
Awards	Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Ernest Lee Fletcher (born November 12, 1952) is an American physician and politician. He served as the 60th Governor of Kentucky from 2003 to 2007. Before becoming governor, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives for three terms.

Fletcher is a member of the Republican Party. He worked as a family doctor and was also a Baptist minister. He was the second doctor to become Governor of Kentucky. He was also the first Republican governor of Kentucky since 1971.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Fletcher joined the United States Air Force. He hoped to become an astronaut. He later left the Air Force and earned a medical degree. His dream of becoming an astronaut ended due to his eyesight. He then started his own medical practice. He also served as a Baptist minister.

Fletcher became involved in politics. In 1994, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He later ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won this seat in 1998. In Congress, he became a leader on health care issues.

In 2003, Fletcher was elected governor. He worked to save money for the state by reorganizing the government. He also tried to change the state's tax laws. After his time as governor, he returned to the medical field. He is married and has two children.

Early Life and Education

Ernest Lee Fletcher was born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, on November 12, 1952. He was one of four children. His family owned a farm and a small store. His father also worked for a gas company. The family moved a few times before settling in Lexington.

Fletcher went to Lafayette High School in Lexington. He was a talented saxophone player. He was also elected prom king in his senior year. After high school, he went to the University of Kentucky. He married his high school sweetheart, Glenna Foster, after his first year. They had two children, Rachel and Ben.

Military Service and Medical Career

Fletcher wanted to be an astronaut. He joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. In 1974, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He then joined the U.S. Air Force. He trained as a pilot in Oklahoma. He served in Alaska as an F-4E Aircraft commander. He also commanded squadrons that intercepted Soviet military planes during the Cold War.

In 1980, Fletcher left the Air Force. He was a captain. He received the Air Force Commendation Medal. He also received the Outstanding Unit Award. He then went to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He hoped a medical degree would help him become a civilian astronaut. He graduated in 1984 with a Doctor of Medicine degree. However, his eyesight got worse, and he could no longer pursue his astronaut dream.

In 1983, Fletcher became a lay minister at his church in Lexington. In 1984, he opened his own family medical practice. He also helped start South Lexington Family Physicians in 1987. For two years, he was the chief executive officer of the Saint Joseph Medical Foundation. This group raised money for a medical center. In 1989, his church asked him to be their unpaid pastor. He later joined the Porter Memorial Baptist Church in 1994.

Political Journey

Fletcher became involved in politics through his church. In 1994, he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He represented Kentucky's 78th District. He worked on issues like poverty and higher education. He also helped reform the state's health care system.

Scotty Baesler ran against Fletcher for a congressional seat in 1996.

In 1996, Fletcher ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He lost to the current representative, Scotty Baesler. In 1998, Baesler decided not to run again. Fletcher ran for the congressional seat again and won. He defeated Democratic state senator Ernesto Scorsone.

Work in Congress

Soon after arriving in Washington, D.C., Fletcher became a leader for new Republican lawmakers. He was appointed to the Committee on Education and Workforce. He also became vice-chair of a subcommittee on employer/employee relations. His medical background helped him get this role. Fletcher also served on the House Committees on the Budget and Agriculture.

Fletcher worked on health care laws. He was involved in debates about the U.S. Patients' Bill of Rights. This bill aimed to give patients more rights with their health insurance plans. He supported a bill that would let patients appeal decisions made by their health maintenance organizations (HMOs).

In 2000, Fletcher ran for re-election. He won against Scotty Baesler. After this election, Fletcher worked on a compromise bill for patient rights. This bill would allow patients to sue their HMOs in federal court. However, the House did not pass his bill.

Fletcher faced little opposition in his re-election in 2002. He won by a large margin.

2003 Election for Governor

Ben Chandler was Fletcher's Democratic opponent in the 2003 election for governor.

In 2002, Senator Mitch McConnell encouraged Fletcher to run for governor. On December 2, 2002, Fletcher announced his candidacy. He chose Hunter Bates as his running mate. However, Bates was found to not meet the residency rules for lieutenant governor. Fletcher then chose Steve Pence as his new running mate.

In the Republican primary, Fletcher won with 53 percent of the votes. In the general election, he faced Attorney General Ben Chandler. Fletcher promised to improve the state government. He won the election with 596,284 votes to Chandler's 487,159. This made him the first Republican elected governor of Kentucky since 1971. His victory margin was the largest ever for a Republican in a Kentucky election for governor. Fletcher resigned from the House on December 8, 2003. He became governor the next day.

Governor of Kentucky

As governor, Fletcher focused on growing Kentucky's economy. Kentucky ranked fourth among all U.S. states in new jobs created during his time. He reorganized the government. He reduced the number of cabinet positions from fourteen to nine. He also created the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority to help the state's horse racing industry.

Fletcher also worked to improve the state's Medicaid program. He launched "Get Healthy Kentucky!" This program encouraged people in Kentucky to live healthier lives.

State Budget Challenges

During Fletcher's term, Republicans controlled the Kentucky Senate. Democrats controlled the state House of Representatives. This made it hard for Fletcher to pass new laws. In 2004, he proposed a plan to change the state's tax laws. He said it would "modernize" the tax system. However, the legislature did not pass the tax plan or a state budget that year.

When the state did not have a budget, Fletcher had to manage state spending. The Kentucky Supreme Court later ruled that the legislature had acted unconstitutionally by not passing a budget. They also said Fletcher had spent money without specific approval from the legislature. This ruling set a precedent for future budget disagreements.

In 2005, the General Assembly finally passed Fletcher's tax reform plan. They also passed a budget for the rest of the two-year period. The tax plan raised taxes on things like cigarettes and alcohol. It also lowered corporate taxes and income taxes for many individuals.

Promoting Kentucky

In June 2004, Fletcher's plane caused a security scare near the U.S. Capitol. The plane's transponder malfunctioned. This led to a brief evacuation of the Capitol. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated. They found that miscommunication by air traffic controllers caused the panic. The FAA later changed its policies to prevent similar errors.

Jay Leno's jokes about Fletcher's effort to create a brand for Kentucky prompted an appearance by Fletcher on The Tonight Show

In July 2004, Fletcher announced a plan to create a unified brand for Kentucky. This was to improve the state's public image. Comedians Craig Kilborn and Jay Leno joked about the idea on their late-night shows. Fletcher wrote to them, and Leno invited him to appear on The Tonight Show. Fletcher went on the show. He presented Leno with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. They joked about Kentucky and Los Angeles.

Eventually, "Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit" was chosen as the state's new slogan. It was put on road signs and state documents. A 2007 study found that most Kentuckians recognized the slogan. It also showed that many people in nearby states recognized it.

In late 2004, Fletcher proposed changes to state workers' health benefits. He wanted to give discounts for healthier behaviors. State employees, especially teachers, opposed the plan. The Kentucky Educators Association even considered a strike. Fletcher called a special session of the legislature. They passed a plan that added more money for health insurance for state workers. This restored many popular benefits. The teachers then canceled their strike.

Government Hiring Practices

In 2005, there were concerns about how the Fletcher administration hired state employees. These concerns were about whether decisions were based on political connections instead of a fair system. Fletcher admitted that his office might have made "mistakes" in hiring. He said it was because they didn't have a formal process for handling job recommendations.

The investigation continued. Later, Fletcher and the Attorney General reached an agreement. Fletcher acknowledged that there was evidence of problems in his administration's hiring practices. He also agreed that the investigation was necessary. This agreement helped to end the investigation.

2006 Legislative Session

In February 2006, Fletcher was hospitalized for abdominal pain. He had surgery and later developed a blood infection. He recovered and returned to work. His staff said his absence did not stop him from getting laws passed.

The Assembly passed a two-year budget. Fletcher used his line-item veto to remove $370 million in projects from the budget. This was the most any governor in state history had vetoed.

One of Fletcher's goals was to fix unintended tax increases on businesses from the 2005 tax reform. He called a special legislative session in June. The legislature passed the tax breaks and amended the tax reform plan.

2007 Election for Governor

Anne Northup challenged Fletcher in the 2007 Republican primary for governor.

In early 2005, Fletcher announced he would run for re-election. His Lieutenant Governor, Steve Pence, decided not to run with him. Fletcher then chose Robbie Rudolph as his new running mate.

Fletcher faced two challengers in the Republican primary. They were former Congresswoman Anne Northup and businessman Billy Harper. Northup argued that Fletcher's involvement in the hiring issues made him "unelectable." However, Fletcher won the primary with over 50% of the vote.

In the general election, Fletcher faced Democrat Steve Beshear. Fletcher tried to make the expansion of casino gambling the main issue. Beshear supported letting people vote on whether to allow more gambling. Fletcher argued that more gambling would lead to more crime. However, the hiring issues remained a bigger topic. Beshear defeated Fletcher with 619,686 votes to 435,895.

After his term as governor, Fletcher founded Alton Healthcare. This company helps health care providers use technology more efficiently. He has been the CEO of the company since 2008.

Images for kids

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  Ernie Fletcher's signature

See also