Fletcher's Cabinet Secretary, Gene Strong, resigns.

Gene Strong, Fletcher's Cabinet Secretary (?) for Economic Development, has announced his resignation effective January 31st. This leaves Robbie Rudolph as the only Cabinet Secretary left from Fletcher's first team. Strong's departure comes on the heels of some intensive media scrutiny over the way Kentucky state government doles out large monetary incentives to attract business investments and the Legislature's willingness to provide some transperency in the incentive program. Whether or not this had anything to do with Strong's depature ahead of the Legislative session is a source of speculation for me. One thing is clear though: the depature gives the Gov. a chance to incorporate the Economic Development cabinet into the Commerce Cabinet and make it a department or office there, a move the Gov. wanted to make but was rebuffed by Mr. Strong and his backers who prevailed in the end.