The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is defending a contract it has with the Miss Kentucky Program. Steven Kelly appeared before a legislative panel in Frankfort Friday to answer questions about the one hundred fifty dollars per appearance the Department pays Miss Kentucky for speaking engagements.
Kelly directs the agency’s office of Strategic Planning and Administration. He says the contract is funded through private sources but it was reduced two years ago.
“As we went through the budget cuts it got looked at it very hard and do we want to cut it out. We did reduce this contract by 20 percent when Commissioner Comer took office, but since this is being funded by private donations and not from our general fund, we feel like it’s a good program.” --Steven Kelly
The current Miss Kentucky, Jenna Day, says the speaking fees are part of a scholarship program that is capped at twenty thousand dollars. She says she spoke to fifty-five thousand children on behalf of Kentucky food products last year.