Tagged: Kentucky Fourth Congressional District

Kentucky Fourth District Congressman Thomas Massie introduced his first bill in Congress on Friday that would repeal the federal ban on guns in school zones. 

The measure is dubbed the Citizens Protection Act of 2013, which was initially proposed by former Congressman Ron Paul six years ago. It would repeal the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990 and comes in the midst of the gun control debate sparked by the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Connecticut.

The Beltway newspaper Roll Call profiled Kentucky Fourth District Congressman Thomas Massie, which shows the Tea Party backed lawmaker has a scientific background that could help in Washington.

Massie defeated Democrat Bill Adkins in the fall election for the seat vacated by retiring Geoff Davis earlier this year, and was sworn in last month.

Observers are already calling Massie the "next Rand Paul," but the former Lewis County Judge Executive has his own biography that includes much more than Tea Party politics. Besides taking courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, Massie is known as a big of scientist for having 24 technology-related patents.

From Roll Call:

In person, Massie looks younger than his 41 years. He’s an unusual mix of earnestly wonkish scientist and charismatic schmoozer. He laughs easily and tells stories with verve, charm and a slight northern Kentucky twang.

Even discussing fiscal cliff policy, his voice stays even, although his passion about reducing the nation’s debt is clear.

“I think the cuts need to happen,” he said, noting that he supports the GOP position to redistribute the cuts embedded in sequestration. “But if we can’t, they still need to happen.”

Kentucky Fourth District Congressman-elect Thomas Massie has been assigned to the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The committee is led by fellow Republican Congressman John Mica of Florida, and has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation. It also has oversees infrastructure such as clean water, the transport of natural resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction and disaster preparedness and response.

In Kentucky's Fourth District congressional race, Democratic candidate Bill Adkins is demanding Republican Thomas Massie renounce a super PAC over its executive director pleading guilty to driving under the influence.

Earlier this week, The Courier-Journal reported that Liberty For All leader Preston Bates faced DUI charges from an incident in July 2011. The police report said Bates crashed his car into a fence, told officers he was an "anarchist" and had a blood alcohol level of 0.121 percent, which is above the .08 percent legal limit.

Bates's attorney entered a guilty plea for the 23-year-old on Wednesday. He will pay a fine and have his driver's license suspended for 30 days.

In the crowded GOP primary, Bates led the Texas-based super PAC, which put in over $500,000 to support Massie over his opponents.

In a statement, Adkins says Massie needs to tell the group to get out of Kentucky and argues their positions are "un-American" due to Bates' comments.

"I call upon Tom Massie to disavow the Ron Paul/Texas Liberty For All SuperPAC Tell them to leave Kentucky and stay out of this race for Congress," he says. "Liberty for All and its leaders are far out of touch with the values of Kentuckians in the Fourth District. Their executive director is a confirmed anarchist. Anarchists do not believe in any authority, anarchists have no respect for government and anarchists often use violent means to achieve their goals. Their positions are un-American."