Martha Layne Collins
Encyclopedia
Martha Layne Collins (born December 7, 1936) is a politician from the US state of Kentucky
. From 1983 to 1987 she was the 56th Governor of Kentucky
, having served the previous four years as lieutenant governor
. She was Kentucky's first and only female governor to date. At the time of her election, she was the seventh woman to serve as governor of any state, and the third who was not the wife or widow of a past governor. She was considered as a possible running mate for Walter Mondale
in the 1984 presidential election
. The 1993 conviction of her husband, Dr. Bill Collins, in an influence-peddling scandal damaged her hopes for future political endeavors.
After graduating from the University of Kentucky
, Collins worked as a school teacher while her husband finished a degree in dentistry
. She became interested in politics and worked on the senatorial
campaigns of Wendell Ford and Walter "Dee" Huddleston
. She was chosen secretary of the state Democratic Party
and was elected clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
in 1975. During her tenure, the judicial system was restructured, and the Court of Appeals became the Kentucky Supreme Court
; Collins continued as clerk of the renamed court. In 1979, Collins was elected lieutenant governor, serving under Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
Brown was frequently out of the state, leaving Collins as acting governor for more than 500 days of her term.
Collins defeated Jim Bunning
to become Kentucky's first female governor in 1983. Her administration had two primary focuses: education and economic development. Her major accomplishment as governor was the use of economic incentives to bring a Toyota manufacturing plant to Georgetown, Kentucky
. Toyota continued to invest heavily in Kentucky and the state experienced record economic growth under Collins' leadership. After her term as governor, she taught at several universities and served as president of Saint Catharine College
near Springfield, Kentucky
from 1990 to 1996. She was rumored to be a candidate for the U.S. Senate or a position in the administration of President Bill Clinton
prior to her husband's conviction. She presently serves on the boards of directors of several companies, including Eastman Kodak
; she is also an Executive Scholar in Residence at Georgetown College and the chair and CEO of the Kentucky World Trade Center.
. She was the only child of Everett and Mary (Taylor) Hall. When Hall was in the sixth grade, her family moved to Shelbyville, Kentucky
, and opened the Hall-Taylor Funeral Home. Hall was involved in numerous extracurricular activities both in school and at the local Baptist
church. Her parents were active in local politics, working for the campaigns of several Democratic
candidates, and Hall frequently joined them, stuffing envelopes and delivering pamphlets door-to-door.
Hall attended Shelbyville High School where she was a good student and a cheerleader. She frequently competed in beauty pageants and won the title of Shelby County Tobacco Festival Queen in 1954. After high school, she matriculated to Lindenwood College
, an all-female college
in Saint Charles, Missouri
. After one year at Lindenwood, she transferred to the University of Kentucky
. She was active in many clubs, including the Chi Omega
social sorority, the Baptist Student Union
, and the home economics club, and also served as president of her dorminatory and vice president of the house presidents council.
In 1957, Hall met Billy Louis Collins while attending a Baptist camp in Shelby County. Collins was a student at Georgetown College, and he and Hall dated while finishing their degrees. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics
in 1959. Having won the title of Kentucky Derby Festival
Queen earlier that year, she briefly considered a career in modeling. Instead, she and Collins married shortly after her graduation. While Mr. Collins pursued a degree in dentistry
at the University of Louisville
, Ms. Collins taught at Seneca High School
and Fairdale High School
, both in Louisville. While in Louisville, the couple had two children, Steve and Marla.
In 1966, the Collinses moved to Versailles, Kentucky
, where Ms. Collins taught at Woodford County Junior High School. The couple became active in several civic organizations, including the Jaycees and Jayceettes
and the Young Democratic Couples Club. Through the latter organization, they supported Henry Ward's unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1967.
Walter "Dee" Huddleston
. Huddleston asked Collins to co-chair Wendell Ford's gubernatorial campaign in the 6th District
. After Ford's victory, he named her Democratic National Committee
woman from Kentucky. She quit her teaching job and went to work full-time at the state Democratic Party headquarters, serving as secretary of the state Democratic party and as a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention
. The following year, she worked for Huddleston's campaign for the U.S. Senate
.
In 1975, Collins won the Democratic nomination for clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
in a five-way primary. In the general election, she defeated Republican
Joseph E. Lambert by a vote of 382,528 to 233,442. During her term, an amendment to the state constitution
renamed the Court of Appeals to the Kentucky Supreme Court
; Collins thus became the last person to hold the office of clerk of the Court of Appeals and the first person to hold the office of clerk of the Supreme Court. As clerk, she compiled a brochure about the new role of the Supreme Court and distributed it to the general public. Further, she worked with the state department of education to create a teacher's manual for use in the public schools detailing the changes effected in the court system as a result of the constitutional amendment. The Woodford County
chapter of Business and Professional Women
chose Collins as its 1976 Woman of Achievement, and in 1977, Governor Julian Carroll
named her Kentucky Executive Director of the Friendship Force
.
In a field that included six major candidates, Collins secured the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor
in 1979, garnering 23 percent of the vote. She defeated Republican Hal Rogers
in the general election by a vote of 543,176 to 316,798. As lieutenant governor, she traveled the state, attending ceremonies in the absence of Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
, who disliked such formal events. By the end of her term, she claimed to have visited all 120 counties in Kentucky. Governor Brown was frequently out of the state, leaving Collins as acting governor for more than 500 days of her four-year term.
As lieutenant governor, Collins was responsible for presiding over the state senate. She drew praise from members of both parties as presiding impartially and with respect for parliamentary procedure
. She was twice called upon to break tie votes in the senate, once on a bill allowing the state's teachers to engage in collective bargaining
and another on a bill to allow multi-county banking within the state; in both instances, she voted in the negative, killing the bill. During her tenure, she also chaired the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors, becoming the first woman to hold that position.
In the general election, Collins faced state senator
Jim Bunning
. The National Organization for Women
, the National Women's Campaign Fund, and the Women's Political Caucus all refused to endorse Collins, citing her lukewarm support for the Equal Rights Amendment
and her opposition to abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life was in danger. Bunning was not personable on the campaign trail and had difficulty finding issues that would draw traditionally Democratic voters to him. His Catholicism was also a political liability. Collins won the election by a vote of 561,674 to 454,650, becoming the first, and to date only, woman to be elected governor of Kentucky.
Collins' victory also made her the highest-ranking female Democrat in the nation; the only two female senators were Republicans, and Collins was the only female governor. Shortly following her election, she appeared on Good Morning America
, where she was asked about her interest in the vice-presidency and gave a non-committal answer. Four days after her inauguration as governor, she was chosen to deliver the Democratic response to President
Ronald Reagan
's weekly radio address. At a news conference following her speech, she was again asked if she would be willing to be considered as the Democrats' vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming election; she replied "No, not at this time."
Following her election, Collins donated the surplus $242,000 from her campaign coffers to the state Democratic party. When Collins' husband was named state treasurer for the party – at an annual salary of $59,900 – the state press charged that the moves were a plot to funnel Collins' campaign funds into her personal account. (The previous Democratic state treasurer had received no salary during his tenure.) Following the media criticism, Dr. Collins resigned his post as treasurer; all of the involved individuals insisted that Collins had not been briefed on the details of her husband's appointment. The media's criticism of Collins continued as many of the appointments to her executive cabinet went to inexperienced candidates who had held key positions in her past campaigns. When newly-appointed Insurance Commissioner Gilbert McCarty approved a 17% rate increase requested by Blue Cross Blue Shield
that his predecessor had denied a few days earlier, Collins quickly countermanded the approval pending a public hearing on the matter.
, most of it allocated for education. The additional revenue was to be derived from Collins' proposed tax package, which included increasing the income tax
on individuals making more than $15,000 annually, extending the sales tax
to cover services like auto repair and dry cleaning, and increasing the corporate licensing tax from 70 cents per $1,000 of a company's combined stock value and long-term debt to $1.75 per $1,000. After opposition to her proposal developed among legislators during the 1984 biennial legislative session, Collins revised the tax package, retaining the corporate licensing tax increase, but replacing the sales tax and income tax modifications with a flat five percent income tax and phasing out the deductions for depreciation that corporations could claim on their state taxes. With the state still recovering from an economic recession
and an election year upcoming, legislators refused to raise taxes, and Collins eventually withdrew her request and submitted a continuation budget instead. Some education reforms were passed, including mandatory kindergarten
, remedial programs for lower grades, mandatory testing and internship for teachers, and the implementation of academic receivership for underperforming schools. Among the other accomplishments of the 1984 legislative session were passage of a tougher drunk driving
law and a measure allowing state banking companies to purchase other banks within the state.
Following the 1984 legislative session, Collins was named chairperson of the 1984 Democratic National Convention
in San Francisco. This prevented Collins from serving as chair of the state delegation to the convention. That designation was given to Collins' son, Steve. Prior to the convention, Walter Mondale
, the presumptive presidential nominee, interviewed Collins as a possible vice-presidential candidate before choosing Geraldine Ferraro
as his running mate instead. A writer for The Miami Herald
later opined, based on interviews with Mondale advisors, that Collins was never given serious consideration by Mondale and that she was included in his list of potential running mates primarily to blunt potential charges of "tokenism" in considering other women and minorities.
from his previous position at the University of Louisville
School of Education had expired. Following the announcement, Collins and several key legislators held a series of meetings in all of Kentucky's 120 counties, advocating for education reform and seeking information about what types of reforms the state's citizens desired. At the meetings, Collins was careful to separate the issues of educational reform and potential tax increases because she believed the issue of taxes had prevented her reform package from being enacted in the previous year's legislative session.
In June 1985, Collins announced a new education reform plan that included a five percent across-the-board pay raise for teachers, a reduction in class sizes, funding for construction projects, aides for every kindergarten teacher in the state, and a "power equilization" program to make funding for poorer school districts more equal to their more affluent counterparts. After favorable reaction from legislators, she called a special legislative session to convene July 8 to consider the plan. Also included on the special session agenda were the issues of raising revenue for the state's road fund, approving the construction of a new medium-security prison, and increasing money for child protective services. After two weeks of deliberation, the General Assembly approved Collins' education plan, tripling the corporate licensing tax to $2.10 per $1,000 in order to pay for the reforms. The Assembly also approved construction of the new prison and allocated an additional $8.3 million to child protective services, but rejected a proposed five-cents-per-gallon increase in the state gasoline tax to finance road repairs.
Collins followed up her success in the 1985 special session with a push for more higher education funding in the 1986 legislative session. Lawmakers obliged by approving an additional $100 million for higher education in the biennial budget. They also approved implementation of a pilot preschool program and the purchase of new reading textbooks, but failed to act on Collins' request for an additional $3.9 million to improve the state's vocational education
system. Legislators approved a constitutional amendment – supported by Collins – to make the state superintendent an appointive, rather than elective, office. The amendment was defeated by the state's voters in November 1986, despite a Collins-led campaign in favor of it.
Between 1985 and 1990, enrollment in Kentucky's colleges and universities climbed 30 percent. The increased corporate tax intended to cover the cost of the education increase was inadequate, however. In 1987, a plan to increase revenue through changes in the state income tax was abandoned when Wallace Wilkinson, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, announced his opposition to it.
s to Japan
. She returned to Japan in October 1985 and also visited China
– a first for any Kentucky governor – to discuss opening Chinese markets for Kentucky goods and establish a "sister state" relationship with China's Jiangxi
province. Because of her development of economic ties with Japan, she was named Honorary Consul General of Japan in Kentucky.
Collins' efforts in Japan yielded her most significant accomplishment as governor – convincing Toyota to locate an $800 million manufacturing plant in Georgetown
. The deal was contingent upon legislative approval of a $125 million incentive package negotiated by Collins and state Commerce Secretary Carroll Knicely
. Included in the package were $35 million to buy and improve a 1600-acre plot to be given to Toyota for the plant, $33 million for initial training of employees, $10 million for a skills development center for employees, and $47 million in highway improvements near the site. The incentive package was approved in the 1986 legislative session. State Attorney General
David L. Armstrong
expressed concerns that the incentives might conflict with the state constitution by giving gifts from the state treasury to a private business, but ultimately concluded that the General Assembly had made "a good-faith effort to be in compliance with the constitution".
Given Attorney General Armstrong's concerns, the administration employed general counsel J. Patrick Abell to file a friendly test case
to determine the constitutionality of the incentive package. While the suit was pending, the Lexington Herald-Leader
reported that the administration had failed to include the interest on the bonds
used to finance the incentives; this, plus the cost overruns reported by the Herald-Leader, had already pushed the total cost of the incentive package to about $354 million by late September 1986. In October, Toyota agreed to cover the cost overruns associated with preparing the site for construction.
Opponents of the incentive package for Toyota joined the state's friendly suit. In October 1986, Franklin County
Circuit Court Judge Ray Corns ruled that the package did not violate the state constitution. Both sides asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to make a final decision on the package's legality. On June 11, 1987, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled 4—3 that the incentives served a public purpose and were therefore constitutional. Criticism of the incentives was blunted when Toyota set up several assembly plants across the state; near the end of Collins' term, the state Commerce Cabinet reported that 25 automotive-related manufacturing plants had been constructed in 17 Kentucky counties since the Toyota announcement.
to incent the company to expand its truck assembly plant in Louisville. The state experienced record job growth under Collins' economic development plan, which included both national and international components. The state's unemployment rate fell from 9.7 percent in October 1983 to 7.2 percent in October 1987, and the administration claimed to have created a net increase of 73,000 new jobs in the state during Collins' tenure.
On October 7, 1987, Collins called a second special session to address a deficit in payments to the state worker's compensation Special Fund. The Special Fund was designated for payments to workers with occupational disease
s and workers whose work-related injuries could not be traced to any single employer. Although a plan proposed by state senator Ed O'Daniel was expected to provide the framework for legislation considered in the session, Collins' call specified only the problems to be addressed and did not present a specific solution. Greg Stumbo
, the Democratic floor leader
in the House, had threatened to sue Collins if her call did not provide the ability to amend any plan that was submitted to addresss the deficit. O'Daniel's plan raised additional revenue for the Special Fund through increased assessments on worker's compensation premiums for 30 years. The plan increased the assessments for coal companies more than other businesses because the majority of the claims paid from the Special Fund were for black lung
, a breathing disease common among coal miners; consequently, it was opposed by legislators from heavily coal-dependent counties. Nevertheless, after nine days of negotiations, a bill substantially similar to O'Daniel's original plan was approved by the legislature and signed by Collins.
Collins served as chair of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway Authority and held that position when the waterway opened to the public in 1985. She also chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, Southern States Energy Board, and was co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission
.
by the Kentucky Constitution, Collins became an international trade consultant after the expiration of her term as governor. In 1988, she taught at the University of Louisville, and a year later, taught at the Harvard Institute of Politics
. On May 10, 1985, she was named to the University of Kentucky Alumni Association's Hall of Distinguished Alumni. After serving on the boards of regents for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
and Midway College
, Collins was named president of Saint Catharine College
in 1990, serving in that capacity for six years.
In 1993, Collins' husband, Bill, was charged in an influence-peddling scandal. The prosecution claimed that while Ms. Collins was governor, Dr. Collins exploited a perception that he could influence the awarding of state contracts and took nearly $2 million from people who did business with the state. He was convicted on October 14, 1993 after a seven week trial; he was given a sentence of five years and three months in federal prison, the minimum penalty under federal sentencing guidelines. He was also fined $20,000 for a conspiracy charge that involved kickbacks disguised as political contributions. Governor Collins was called to testify in the trial, but was not charged. The scandal tarnished her image, however, and may have cost her an appointment in the administration of President Bill Clinton
. Collins was also rumored to be considering running for the U.S. Senate
, a bid which never materialized following her husband's conviction.
Collins served as co-chair of the Credentials Committee of the 1996 Democratic National Convention
. Women Leading Kentucky, a non-profit group designed to promote education, mentorship, and networking among Kentucky professional women, created the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award in 1999 to recognize "a Kentucky woman of achievement who inspires and motivates other women through her personal, community and professional lives"; Collins was the first recipient of the award. In 2001, Governor Paul E. Patton
named her co-chair of the Kentucky Task Force on the Economic Status of Women. Kentucky's Bluegrass Parkway was renamed the Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway in 2003. In 2009, Collins was inducted into the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for her contributions "to strengthening economic and cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States of America".
Since 1998, Collins has been an Executive Scholar in Residence at Georgetown College. In 2003, she received the World Trade Day Book of Honor Award for the state of Kentucky from the World Trade Centers Association, and in January 2005, she became the chair and CEO of the Kentucky World Trade Center. She serves on the boards of directors for several companies, including Eastman Kodak
. She has not run for office since her service as governor. Her son, Stephen Louis Collins, ran for lieutenant governor of Kentucky in 1991, finishing third in the Democratic primary. Martha Layne Collins High School
in Shelby County
was named in her honor and opened in 2010.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. From 1983 to 1987 she was the 56th Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
, having served the previous four years as lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
. She was Kentucky's first and only female governor to date. At the time of her election, she was the seventh woman to serve as governor of any state, and the third who was not the wife or widow of a past governor. She was considered as a possible running mate for Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
in the 1984 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
. The 1993 conviction of her husband, Dr. Bill Collins, in an influence-peddling scandal damaged her hopes for future political endeavors.
After graduating from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Collins worked as a school teacher while her husband finished a degree in dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
. She became interested in politics and worked on the senatorial
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
campaigns of Wendell Ford and Walter "Dee" Huddleston
Walter Huddleston
Walter Darlington "Dee" Huddleston is a retired American politician. He is a Democrat from the state of Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1973 until 1985....
. She was chosen secretary of the state Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and was elected clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
Kentucky Court of Appeals
The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky....
in 1975. During her tenure, the judicial system was restructured, and the Court of Appeals became the Kentucky Supreme Court
Kentucky Supreme Court
The Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky...
; Collins continued as clerk of the renamed court. In 1979, Collins was elected lieutenant governor, serving under Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
Brown was frequently out of the state, leaving Collins as acting governor for more than 500 days of her term.
Collins defeated Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
to become Kentucky's first female governor in 1983. Her administration had two primary focuses: education and economic development. Her major accomplishment as governor was the use of economic incentives to bring a Toyota manufacturing plant to Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...
. Toyota continued to invest heavily in Kentucky and the state experienced record economic growth under Collins' leadership. After her term as governor, she taught at several universities and served as president of Saint Catharine College
Saint Catharine College
Saint Catharine College is a small Roman Catholic liberal arts college located near Springfield, Kentucky. Originally a women's academy and junior college, the College became coeducational in 1951. The college, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and...
near Springfield, Kentucky
Springfield, Kentucky
Springfield is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,634 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area.-Geography:...
from 1990 to 1996. She was rumored to be a candidate for the U.S. Senate or a position in the administration of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
prior to her husband's conviction. She presently serves on the boards of directors of several companies, including Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
; she is also an Executive Scholar in Residence at Georgetown College and the chair and CEO of the Kentucky World Trade Center.
Early life
Martha Layne Hall was born December 7, 1936, in Bagdad, KentuckyBagdad, Kentucky
Bagdad is an unincorporated community in northeastern Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. It was founded at what is currently the intersection of Kentucky Routes 12 and 395.-Name:The name of the community comes from the name of an old railroad station...
. She was the only child of Everett and Mary (Taylor) Hall. When Hall was in the sixth grade, her family moved to Shelbyville, Kentucky
Shelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
, and opened the Hall-Taylor Funeral Home. Hall was involved in numerous extracurricular activities both in school and at the local Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church. Her parents were active in local politics, working for the campaigns of several Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidates, and Hall frequently joined them, stuffing envelopes and delivering pamphlets door-to-door.
Hall attended Shelbyville High School where she was a good student and a cheerleader. She frequently competed in beauty pageants and won the title of Shelby County Tobacco Festival Queen in 1954. After high school, she matriculated to Lindenwood College
Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
, an all-female college
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
in Saint Charles, Missouri
Saint Charles, Missouri
St. Charles is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 65,794, making St. Charles the 2nd largest city in St. Charles County. It lies just to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri on the Missouri River, and, for a time,...
. After one year at Lindenwood, she transferred to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. She was active in many clubs, including the Chi Omega
Chi Omega
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
social sorority, the Baptist Student Union
Baptist Student Union
The Baptist Student Union is the traditional name of a college-level organization that can be found on many college campuses in the United States and Canada. As the term BSU became associated with other organizations, many local ministries changed their name...
, and the home economics club, and also served as president of her dorminatory and vice president of the house presidents council.
In 1957, Hall met Billy Louis Collins while attending a Baptist camp in Shelby County. Collins was a student at Georgetown College, and he and Hall dated while finishing their degrees. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
in 1959. Having won the title of Kentucky Derby Festival
Kentucky Derby Festival
The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby...
Queen earlier that year, she briefly considered a career in modeling. Instead, she and Collins married shortly after her graduation. While Mr. Collins pursued a degree in dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, Ms. Collins taught at Seneca High School
Seneca High School MCA
Seneca High School MCA is a Louisville, Kentucky, USA, public school. It is located at 3510 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40220, in the Hikes Point neighborhood and is part of Jefferson County Public Schools.- Academics :...
and Fairdale High School
Fairdale High School
Fairdale High School is a part of the Jefferson County Public Schools system in the United States. Approximately 950-1,000 students are enrolled. It is one of the District's Magnet Career Schools for Public Safety Technology...
, both in Louisville. While in Louisville, the couple had two children, Steve and Marla.
In 1966, the Collinses moved to Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
, where Ms. Collins taught at Woodford County Junior High School. The couple became active in several civic organizations, including the Jaycees and Jayceettes
United States Junior Chamber
The United States Junior Chamber is a leadership training and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 41. Areas of emphasis are business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. The U.S...
and the Young Democratic Couples Club. Through the latter organization, they supported Henry Ward's unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1967.
Early political career
By 1971, Collins was serving as president of the Jayceettes, and it was through that organization that she came to the attention of Democratic state senatorKentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
Walter "Dee" Huddleston
Walter Huddleston
Walter Darlington "Dee" Huddleston is a retired American politician. He is a Democrat from the state of Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1973 until 1985....
. Huddleston asked Collins to co-chair Wendell Ford's gubernatorial campaign in the 6th District
Kentucky's 6th congressional district
Kentucky's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Based in Central Kentucky, the district contains the cities of Lexington , Richmond, and Frankfort, the state capital....
. After Ford's victory, he named her Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
woman from Kentucky. She quit her teaching job and went to work full-time at the state Democratic Party headquarters, serving as secretary of the state Democratic party and as a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida on July 10–13, 1972....
. The following year, she worked for Huddleston's campaign for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In 1975, Collins won the Democratic nomination for clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
Kentucky Court of Appeals
The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky....
in a five-way primary. In the general election, she defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Joseph E. Lambert by a vote of 382,528 to 233,442. During her term, an amendment to the state constitution
Kentucky Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more...
renamed the Court of Appeals to the Kentucky Supreme Court
Kentucky Supreme Court
The Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky...
; Collins thus became the last person to hold the office of clerk of the Court of Appeals and the first person to hold the office of clerk of the Supreme Court. As clerk, she compiled a brochure about the new role of the Supreme Court and distributed it to the general public. Further, she worked with the state department of education to create a teacher's manual for use in the public schools detailing the changes effected in the court system as a result of the constitutional amendment. The Woodford County
Woodford County, Kentucky
Woodford County is a county located in the heart of the Bluegrass region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 23,208. Its county seat is Versailles. The county is named for General William Woodford, who was with General George Washington at Valley Forge...
chapter of Business and Professional Women
Business and Professional Women
Business and Professional Women's Foundation Business and Professional Women’s Foundation is an organization focused on creating successful workplaces by focusing on issues that impact women, families and employers. Successful Workplaces are those that embrace and practice diversity, equity and...
chose Collins as its 1976 Woman of Achievement, and in 1977, Governor Julian Carroll
Julian Carroll
Julian Morton Carroll is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he is presently a member of the Kentucky Senate, representing Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, and part of Fayette counties. From 1974 to 1979, he served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky, succeeding Wendell H. Ford, who...
named her Kentucky Executive Director of the Friendship Force
Friendship Force International
Friendship Force International is a non-profit organization founded in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and introduced on March 1, 1977, by President Jimmy Carter at a White House gathering of state governors. First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as Honorary Chairperson until 2002...
.
In a field that included six major candidates, Collins secured the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
in 1979, garnering 23 percent of the vote. She defeated Republican Hal Rogers
Hal Rogers
Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and early career:...
in the general election by a vote of 543,176 to 316,798. As lieutenant governor, she traveled the state, attending ceremonies in the absence of Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
, who disliked such formal events. By the end of her term, she claimed to have visited all 120 counties in Kentucky. Governor Brown was frequently out of the state, leaving Collins as acting governor for more than 500 days of her four-year term.
As lieutenant governor, Collins was responsible for presiding over the state senate. She drew praise from members of both parties as presiding impartially and with respect for parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of clubs, organizations, legislative bodies, and other deliberative assemblies...
. She was twice called upon to break tie votes in the senate, once on a bill allowing the state's teachers to engage in collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
and another on a bill to allow multi-county banking within the state; in both instances, she voted in the negative, killing the bill. During her tenure, she also chaired the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors, becoming the first woman to hold that position.
1983 gubernatorial election
As she neared the expiration of her term as lieutenant governor, Collins announced her candidacy in the 1983 gubernatorial race. Her opponents for the Democratic nomination included Louisville mayor Harvey Sloane and Grady Stumbo, the former secretary of the state Department of Human Resources. Collins had the support of many leaders in the Democratic party, but late in the race, Governor Brown endorsed Stumbo, saying that both Sloane and Collins would use the governorship to dispense party patronage, a common practice that Brown shunned during his term. With 223,692 votes, she edged out Sloane (219,160 votes) and Stumbo (199,795 votes) to secure the nomination. Sloane asked for a recanvass of the ballots, but ultimately decided it would not change the outcome and conceded defeat to Collins.In the general election, Collins faced state senator
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
. The National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
, the National Women's Campaign Fund, and the Women's Political Caucus all refused to endorse Collins, citing her lukewarm support for the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
and her opposition to abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life was in danger. Bunning was not personable on the campaign trail and had difficulty finding issues that would draw traditionally Democratic voters to him. His Catholicism was also a political liability. Collins won the election by a vote of 561,674 to 454,650, becoming the first, and to date only, woman to be elected governor of Kentucky.
Collins' victory also made her the highest-ranking female Democrat in the nation; the only two female senators were Republicans, and Collins was the only female governor. Shortly following her election, she appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, where she was asked about her interest in the vice-presidency and gave a non-committal answer. Four days after her inauguration as governor, she was chosen to deliver the Democratic response to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's weekly radio address. At a news conference following her speech, she was again asked if she would be willing to be considered as the Democrats' vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming election; she replied "No, not at this time."
Following her election, Collins donated the surplus $242,000 from her campaign coffers to the state Democratic party. When Collins' husband was named state treasurer for the party – at an annual salary of $59,900 – the state press charged that the moves were a plot to funnel Collins' campaign funds into her personal account. (The previous Democratic state treasurer had received no salary during his tenure.) Following the media criticism, Dr. Collins resigned his post as treasurer; all of the involved individuals insisted that Collins had not been briefed on the details of her husband's appointment. The media's criticism of Collins continued as many of the appointments to her executive cabinet went to inexperienced candidates who had held key positions in her past campaigns. When newly-appointed Insurance Commissioner Gilbert McCarty approved a 17% rate increase requested by Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
that his predecessor had denied a few days earlier, Collins quickly countermanded the approval pending a public hearing on the matter.
Governor
In her first address to the legislature, Collins asked for an additional $324 million from the Kentucky General AssemblyKentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
, most of it allocated for education. The additional revenue was to be derived from Collins' proposed tax package, which included increasing the income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
on individuals making more than $15,000 annually, extending the sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
to cover services like auto repair and dry cleaning, and increasing the corporate licensing tax from 70 cents per $1,000 of a company's combined stock value and long-term debt to $1.75 per $1,000. After opposition to her proposal developed among legislators during the 1984 biennial legislative session, Collins revised the tax package, retaining the corporate licensing tax increase, but replacing the sales tax and income tax modifications with a flat five percent income tax and phasing out the deductions for depreciation that corporations could claim on their state taxes. With the state still recovering from an economic recession
Early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession describes the severe global economic recession affecting much of the developed world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United States and Japan exited recession relatively early, but high unemployment would continue to affect other OECD nations through at least 1985...
and an election year upcoming, legislators refused to raise taxes, and Collins eventually withdrew her request and submitted a continuation budget instead. Some education reforms were passed, including mandatory kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, remedial programs for lower grades, mandatory testing and internship for teachers, and the implementation of academic receivership for underperforming schools. Among the other accomplishments of the 1984 legislative session were passage of a tougher drunk driving
Drunk driving (United States)
Drunk driving is the act of operating and/or driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs to the degree that mental and motor skills are impaired...
law and a measure allowing state banking companies to purchase other banks within the state.
Following the 1984 legislative session, Collins was named chairperson of the 1984 Democratic National Convention
1984 Democratic National Convention
The 1984 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California from July 16 to July 19, 1984, to select a candidate for the 1984 United States presidential election. At the convention Walter Mondale was nominated for President and Geraldine...
in San Francisco. This prevented Collins from serving as chair of the state delegation to the convention. That designation was given to Collins' son, Steve. Prior to the convention, Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
, the presumptive presidential nominee, interviewed Collins as a possible vice-presidential candidate before choosing Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
as his running mate instead. A writer for The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
later opined, based on interviews with Mondale advisors, that Collins was never given serious consideration by Mondale and that she was included in his list of potential running mates primarily to blunt potential charges of "tokenism" in considering other women and minorities.
Education reform
In January 1985, Collins renewed her push for additional education funding and reforms by appointing herself secretary of the state Education and Humanities Cabinet. She replaced Ray Nystrand, whose leave of absenceLeave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
from his previous position at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
School of Education had expired. Following the announcement, Collins and several key legislators held a series of meetings in all of Kentucky's 120 counties, advocating for education reform and seeking information about what types of reforms the state's citizens desired. At the meetings, Collins was careful to separate the issues of educational reform and potential tax increases because she believed the issue of taxes had prevented her reform package from being enacted in the previous year's legislative session.
In June 1985, Collins announced a new education reform plan that included a five percent across-the-board pay raise for teachers, a reduction in class sizes, funding for construction projects, aides for every kindergarten teacher in the state, and a "power equilization" program to make funding for poorer school districts more equal to their more affluent counterparts. After favorable reaction from legislators, she called a special legislative session to convene July 8 to consider the plan. Also included on the special session agenda were the issues of raising revenue for the state's road fund, approving the construction of a new medium-security prison, and increasing money for child protective services. After two weeks of deliberation, the General Assembly approved Collins' education plan, tripling the corporate licensing tax to $2.10 per $1,000 in order to pay for the reforms. The Assembly also approved construction of the new prison and allocated an additional $8.3 million to child protective services, but rejected a proposed five-cents-per-gallon increase in the state gasoline tax to finance road repairs.
Collins followed up her success in the 1985 special session with a push for more higher education funding in the 1986 legislative session. Lawmakers obliged by approving an additional $100 million for higher education in the biennial budget. They also approved implementation of a pilot preschool program and the purchase of new reading textbooks, but failed to act on Collins' request for an additional $3.9 million to improve the state's vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
system. Legislators approved a constitutional amendment – supported by Collins – to make the state superintendent an appointive, rather than elective, office. The amendment was defeated by the state's voters in November 1986, despite a Collins-led campaign in favor of it.
Between 1985 and 1990, enrollment in Kentucky's colleges and universities climbed 30 percent. The increased corporate tax intended to cover the cost of the education increase was inadequate, however. In 1987, a plan to increase revenue through changes in the state income tax was abandoned when Wallace Wilkinson, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, announced his opposition to it.
Toyota Assembly Plant
In March 1985, Collins embarked on the first of several trade missionTrade mission
Trade mission is an international trip by government officials and businesspeople that is organized by agencies of national or provincial governments for purpose of exploring international business opportunities. Business people who attend trade missions are typically introduced both to important...
s to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She returned to Japan in October 1985 and also visited China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
– a first for any Kentucky governor – to discuss opening Chinese markets for Kentucky goods and establish a "sister state" relationship with China's Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
province. Because of her development of economic ties with Japan, she was named Honorary Consul General of Japan in Kentucky.
Collins' efforts in Japan yielded her most significant accomplishment as governor – convincing Toyota to locate an $800 million manufacturing plant in Georgetown
Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...
. The deal was contingent upon legislative approval of a $125 million incentive package negotiated by Collins and state Commerce Secretary Carroll Knicely
Carroll Knicely
Carroll F. Knicely was editor and publisher of the Glasgow Daily Times for nearly 20 years and served under three Kentucky Governors as commissioner and later Commerce Secretary.-Career in publishing:Knicely started out as an apprentice linotype operator at The News...
. Included in the package were $35 million to buy and improve a 1600-acre plot to be given to Toyota for the plant, $33 million for initial training of employees, $10 million for a skills development center for employees, and $47 million in highway improvements near the site. The incentive package was approved in the 1986 legislative session. State Attorney General
Attorney General of Kentucky
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. . Under Kentucky law, he serves several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor , the state's chief law enforcement officer , and the state's chief law officer...
David L. Armstrong
David L. Armstrong
David L. Armstrong was mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1999 to 2003.Armstrong was born in Hope, Arkansas. Prior to becoming mayor, he had served as Jefferson County Judge/Executive since 1989. He was raised in Madison, Indiana...
expressed concerns that the incentives might conflict with the state constitution by giving gifts from the state treasury to a private business, but ultimately concluded that the General Assembly had made "a good-faith effort to be in compliance with the constitution".
Given Attorney General Armstrong's concerns, the administration employed general counsel J. Patrick Abell to file a friendly test case
Test case (law)
In case law, a test case is a legal action whose purpose is to set a precedent. An example of a test case might be a legal entity who files a lawsuit in order to see if the court considers a certain law or a certain legal precedent applicable in specific circumstances...
to determine the constitutionality of the incentive package. While the suit was pending, the Lexington Herald-Leader
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
reported that the administration had failed to include the interest on the bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
used to finance the incentives; this, plus the cost overruns reported by the Herald-Leader, had already pushed the total cost of the incentive package to about $354 million by late September 1986. In October, Toyota agreed to cover the cost overruns associated with preparing the site for construction.
Opponents of the incentive package for Toyota joined the state's friendly suit. In October 1986, Franklin County
Franklin County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,687 people, 19,907 households, and 12,840 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 21,409 housing units at an average density of...
Circuit Court Judge Ray Corns ruled that the package did not violate the state constitution. Both sides asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to make a final decision on the package's legality. On June 11, 1987, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled 4—3 that the incentives served a public purpose and were therefore constitutional. Criticism of the incentives was blunted when Toyota set up several assembly plants across the state; near the end of Collins' term, the state Commerce Cabinet reported that 25 automotive-related manufacturing plants had been constructed in 17 Kentucky counties since the Toyota announcement.
Other matters of Collins' term
In 1987, Collins promised $10 million in state aid to FordFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
to incent the company to expand its truck assembly plant in Louisville. The state experienced record job growth under Collins' economic development plan, which included both national and international components. The state's unemployment rate fell from 9.7 percent in October 1983 to 7.2 percent in October 1987, and the administration claimed to have created a net increase of 73,000 new jobs in the state during Collins' tenure.
On October 7, 1987, Collins called a second special session to address a deficit in payments to the state worker's compensation Special Fund. The Special Fund was designated for payments to workers with occupational disease
Occupational disease
An occupational disease is any chronic ailment that occurs as a result of work or occupational activity. It is an aspect of occupational safety and health. An occupational disease is typically identified when it is shown that it is more prevalent in a given body of workers than in the general...
s and workers whose work-related injuries could not be traced to any single employer. Although a plan proposed by state senator Ed O'Daniel was expected to provide the framework for legislation considered in the session, Collins' call specified only the problems to be addressed and did not present a specific solution. Greg Stumbo
Greg Stumbo
Gregory D. "Greg" Stumbo is the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Stumbo, a member of the Democratic Party, is a former Kentucky Attorney General from 2003 to 2007.-Early Career:...
, the Democratic floor leader
Floor Leader
Floor Leaders are leaders of their political parties in each of the houses of the legislature.- Senate :In the United States Senate, they are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and...
in the House, had threatened to sue Collins if her call did not provide the ability to amend any plan that was submitted to addresss the deficit. O'Daniel's plan raised additional revenue for the Special Fund through increased assessments on worker's compensation premiums for 30 years. The plan increased the assessments for coal companies more than other businesses because the majority of the claims paid from the Special Fund were for black lung
Black lung
Black lung can mean several things:* Black lung disease, the common name for coalworker's pneumoconiosis* Black Lung, an electronic and industrial music project by Australian musician David Thrussell...
, a breathing disease common among coal miners; consequently, it was opposed by legislators from heavily coal-dependent counties. Nevertheless, after nine days of negotiations, a bill substantially similar to O'Daniel's original plan was approved by the legislature and signed by Collins.
Collins served as chair of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway Authority and held that position when the waterway opened to the public in 1985. She also chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board, Southern States Energy Board, and was co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission
Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a United States federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life...
.
Later life
Term limitedTerm limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
by the Kentucky Constitution, Collins became an international trade consultant after the expiration of her term as governor. In 1988, she taught at the University of Louisville, and a year later, taught at the Harvard Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics
Harvard Institute of Politics was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and inspire Harvard students into careers in politics and public service, much as President Kennedy was inspired during his days as a student at Harvard. The IOP also brings together the academic...
. On May 10, 1985, she was named to the University of Kentucky Alumni Association's Hall of Distinguished Alumni. After serving on the boards of regents for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
and Midway College
Midway College
Midway College is an independent, liberal arts college with approximately 1,800 students located in Midway, Kentucky. Related by covenant to the Christian Church , it currently offers two and four-year degrees. Midway is the only women's college in Kentucky...
, Collins was named president of Saint Catharine College
Saint Catharine College
Saint Catharine College is a small Roman Catholic liberal arts college located near Springfield, Kentucky. Originally a women's academy and junior college, the College became coeducational in 1951. The college, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and...
in 1990, serving in that capacity for six years.
In 1993, Collins' husband, Bill, was charged in an influence-peddling scandal. The prosecution claimed that while Ms. Collins was governor, Dr. Collins exploited a perception that he could influence the awarding of state contracts and took nearly $2 million from people who did business with the state. He was convicted on October 14, 1993 after a seven week trial; he was given a sentence of five years and three months in federal prison, the minimum penalty under federal sentencing guidelines. He was also fined $20,000 for a conspiracy charge that involved kickbacks disguised as political contributions. Governor Collins was called to testify in the trial, but was not charged. The scandal tarnished her image, however, and may have cost her an appointment in the administration of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Collins was also rumored to be considering running for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, a bid which never materialized following her husband's conviction.
Collins served as co-chair of the Credentials Committee of the 1996 Democratic National Convention
1996 Democratic National Convention
The 1996 Democratic National Convention of the was held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois from August 26 to August 29, 1996. Incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton was renominated for President of United States.-Site selection:...
. Women Leading Kentucky, a non-profit group designed to promote education, mentorship, and networking among Kentucky professional women, created the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award in 1999 to recognize "a Kentucky woman of achievement who inspires and motivates other women through her personal, community and professional lives"; Collins was the first recipient of the award. In 2001, Governor Paul E. Patton
Paul E. Patton
Paul Edward Patton was the 59th governor of Kentucky, serving from 1995 to 2003. Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800...
named her co-chair of the Kentucky Task Force on the Economic Status of Women. Kentucky's Bluegrass Parkway was renamed the Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway in 2003. In 2009, Collins was inducted into the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
for her contributions "to strengthening economic and cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States of America".
Since 1998, Collins has been an Executive Scholar in Residence at Georgetown College. In 2003, she received the World Trade Day Book of Honor Award for the state of Kentucky from the World Trade Centers Association, and in January 2005, she became the chair and CEO of the Kentucky World Trade Center. She serves on the boards of directors for several companies, including Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
. She has not run for office since her service as governor. Her son, Stephen Louis Collins, ran for lieutenant governor of Kentucky in 1991, finishing third in the Democratic primary. Martha Layne Collins High School
Martha Layne Collins High School
Martha Layne Collins High School is located in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The official name is Martha Layne Collins Hill High School. One of two high schools in the Shelby County Public Schools school district, it opened in August 2010...
in Shelby County
Shelby County, Kentucky
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 42,074. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Its county seat is Shelbyville...
was named in her honor and opened in 2010.