The Record

A Record of Results

Bills passed, funding secured, and problems solved - focused on the priorities of Daviess County.

Representative DJ Johnson speaking in committee

Providing for Our Safety and Security

DJ has worked with local, state, and federal law enforcement to fund new communications systems, weapons, and protective equipment for first responders, and to combat the fentanyl, opioid, and methamphetamine crises. He sponsored HB 5 (2024), a comprehensive statewide update to community safety laws, secured long-overdue pay raises and improved retirement and healthcare benefits for law enforcement and first responders, and helped fund a nearly $10 million new emergency operations and safety facility in Daviess County. He has received multiple state and local law enforcement endorsements and awards.

Lowering Our Prescription Costs

DJ sponsored and voted for legislation capping the cost of insulin in Kentucky, saving diabetics hundreds of dollars a month. Kentucky has the 2nd-highest annual prescription drug costs in the U.S., and DJ is working with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on a common-sense plan to curb excessive profiteering by pharmaceutical manufacturers and PBMs - protecting seniors and fixed-income families from rising costs.

Protecting Our Children

DJ's work helped make abortion illegal in Kentucky while protecting the life of the expectant mother. He sponsored HB 214 (2024), creating a second family court judgeship in Daviess County that virtually eliminated the backlog of child-related court cases. During the 2026 session, he sponsored HB 366, which clearly defines digital child pornography and mandates that offenders serve a minimum of 85% of their sentence before parole eligibility, and co-sponsored HB 6, overhauling the statewide childcare industry. Locally, he secured state financing for a new Owensboro YMCA childcare facility (opened April 2026) and worked with Senator McConnell's office to secure $6.6 million for another new childcare facility opening in 2027. He continues working to streamline foster care and adoption processes.

Educating Our Future Generations

DJ has voted to increase public school funding in every budget cycle and, as Chairman of the Public Pension Oversight Board, has worked to properly fund the Teachers' Retirement Fund and state/county employee retirement funds. He sponsored HB 194 (2022), removing a bureaucratic barrier so students can more efficiently earn a High School Equivalency Diploma. He supports a broad range of educational paths - public schools, Owensboro Community and Technical College, Brescia University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, regional/state universities, and the Owensboro Innovation Academy - believing parents and students deserve a choice in education.

Growing Our Economy

DJ works closely with the Kentucky Cabinet of Economic Development, the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, the Owensboro Tourism Commission, the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, and local municipalities to create incentives that attract new business and investment to Daviess County. He appropriated 2.5 million dollars in state funding to the regional economic development center in Owensboro, KY.

Providing Leading-Edge Medical Options

DJ played a major role in bringing Workforce Kentucky, a new state-of-the-art medical workforce training facility, to Owensboro - creating educational pathways for local students and filling critical healthcare staffing needs in the community.

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