Beshear wants to "promote and protect Kentucky families".

Here's a news release from the Beshear camp:

Steve Beshear Details His Plan for Putting Kentucky Families First
The Beshear Mongiardo Plan to Promote and Protect Kentucky Families

Lexington, KY (August 20, 2007) – Steve Beshear, Democratic nominee for Governor today released details of his comprehensive plan for "Promoting and Protecting Kentucky Families." The plan includes proposals on: respecting marriages; valuing families; keeping families safe; and promoting good citizenship among our children.

"I want every man, woman, boy and girl in this state to have the same opportunity I had – the chance to be successful, to have good jobs and to stay here in Kentucky," said Beshear. "I know that that opportunity starts with the same values I learned as a boy and lived all my life. That is what this plan is about."

I. Respecting Marriages "I've been blessed to be married to my wife Jane for 38 years," said Beshear. "To us, marriage is the most sacred bond we can share with another person and, for that reason, it is something that should be valued and respected."

As Governor, Beshear will:

* Support healthy, happy marriage initiatives sponsored by local faith-based and community organizations and fund marriage promotion programs to illustrate and promote the benefits associated with healthy marriage.
* Take steps to minimize child support default rates and increase payment rates.
* Improve the identification of serial batterers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
* Form "Domestic Crisis Teams" within law enforcement agencies.
* Promote anti-child abuse and anti-violence programs to help school officials and co-workers learn how to spot signs of child and domestic violence.
* Encourage schools to develop anti-violence curricula.

II. Valuing Families "I value my family tremendously," said Beshear. "It's wonderful to return home after a long day's work to see my wife, or to enjoy dinner out with my two grown sons, their lovely wives and my grandson. I recognize that many parents or guardians have to work one, two or more jobs just to provide their families the basic needs like food, clothing and health care. Parents should be able to support their families and nurture them - there shouldn't be a trade-off."

As Governor, Beshear will:

* Promote pay equity for working women.
* Foster family time each day to balance the needs of work and family.
* Provide health care for Kentucky families as previously discussed in the "Keeping Kentuckians Healthy" plan (available at www.SteveBeshear.com; and
* Support expectant, new mothers and their newborns by expanding outreach programs to educated women on healthy behaviors.
* Work to reduce unwanted pregnancies and encourage adoption.

III. Keeping Families Safe "Keeping our families and citizens safe is one of the most important roles of government, and it’s one I take very seriously," said Beshear. "During my tenure as Attorney General, I had a record of being tough on crime and it is a record that I will continue as Governor."

As Governor, Beshear will:

* Institute a comprehensive "Safe from the Start" program.
* Institute tougher penalties for sex offenders who lie about their age on the Internet with the purpose of committing a sex crime and make it a felony.
* Expand regional Drug Task Forces so there is one in every county.
* Work with our Congressional Delegation to create a National All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting System to track controlled prescriptions from out-of-state pharmacies, not just those within Kentucky’s borders.
* Create an Electronic Drug Registry to enable law enforcement, medical providers and community organizations to view names of convicted drug users and traffickers in a searchable database.
* Fund media and public awareness campaigns to combat the spread of meth use and manufacturing.
* Fully implement and fund a system of coerced drug abstinence within the probation and parole system.

IV. Promoting Good Citizenship among Our Children "I was like most kids growing up," said Beshear. "For the most part I stayed out of trouble. My parents and teachers taught me well. I don’t think kids today are fundamentally any different. But the world around us has changed – and today’s kids need to be taught socially positive behavior, just like we did, from the right role models. I think that starts at the top. Only by playing by the rules and practicing what we preach can we expect kids to respect the law and for our common values to flourish in every schoolhouse and community in Kentucky."

As Governor, Beshear will:

* Encourage greater civic involvement in middle and high schools.
* Encourage all high schools to adopt a policy to require students to complete a minimum of 24 hours of community service as a requirement for graduation.
* Pass anti-bullying legislation for our schools.
* Foster school discipline through establishing a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in the classroom.

Any thoughts?