BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT THOMAS -- Joe Fischer has never served in the Kentucky General Assembly, but he surely has had an impact on it.
A Fort Thomas city councilman, attorney and candidate in the 68th House District Republican primary, Mr. Fischer filed a lawsuit that forced lawmakers to redraw legislative districts and return a state Senate seat to Campbell County.
He drafted the informed consent abortion bill sponsored by Rep. Katie Stine, R-Fort Thomas, whom he wants to replace in the General Assembly. The bill forces a woman to wait 24 hours before receiving an abortion.
And Mr. Fischer, a member of the Campbell County Republican Executive Committee, has helped Republicans such as Mrs. Stine and State Sen. Jack Westwood of Erlanger win Statehouse seats. "We have a tradition of leadership in Frankfort from Campbell County Republicans like Katie Stine, (former lawmaker) Art Schmidt and Jim Bunning," who served in the state Senate before being elected to Congress 12 years ago, Mr. Fischer said. "With my background in politics and in the community, I feel I can also bring leadership to the district."
Mr. Fischer, 43, is one of three candidates in the May 26 Republican primary for the 68th House District. The others are Cold Spring real estate agency owner Ken Warden and Alexandria resident Stu Stormer, a sales and marketing vice president for a Cincinnati printer.
The incumbent, Mrs. Stine is leaving the Kentucky House of Representatives to run for the state Senate. The district covers Fort Thomas, Silver Grove, Melbourne, Highland Heights, Cold Spring, Alexandria and parts of southern Campbell County.
Mr. Fischer said the top issues in the race are:
Tax relief. Mr. Fischer said the state's $200 million budget surplus should have been used for tax relief. Instead, Gov. Paul Patton and the General Assembly, while reducing some taxes, used the bulk of the money for projects and other spending spread throughout the state.
"Measured as a percentage of personal income, Kentucky's state taxes are fifth-highest in the nation," he said. "I would return the entire surplus to the taxpayers by eliminating the state car tax."
The tax is paid annually when people renew their license.
Education. School districts receive most of their operating and construction money based on the district's property value. But under the original KERA (Kentucky Education Reform Act) passed in 1990, more money is earmarked to property-poor districts as part of an equalization formula.
That formula, however, has made it difficult for property-rich districts like Fort Thomas and others in Northern Kentucky to receive adequate funding for improvements and construction, Mr. Fischer said.
He has proposed basing construction and improvement money more on the population of the district and on its needs.
Mr. Fischer also wants "KERA's outcome-based education" replaced with "traditional academic-based" education. "We need an objective test so we can measure how our students are performing and achieving, comparing them to students from across Kentucky and across the country," he said.
Protection of life. "The primary role of government is to protect . . . life at all stages, from conception to natural death," said Mr. Fischer, a Roman Catholic who opposes all forms of abortion. If elected, Mr. Fischer said he would push for Northern Kentucky University, which he claims is always behind other state universities when it comes to funding.
And he thinks the best way to attract more development is lower taxes. "That's what businesses want, lower taxes. You do that and you get a better environment for business. Lower taxes is an incentive all to itself," said Mr. Fischer.
This is one in a periodic series of stories on Northern Kentucky Statehouse candidates.
