A Kentucky House leader filed legislation in 2019 that would have sharply reduced the compensation then paid to the state’s chief information officer. The proposal followed public scrutiny of a raise that brought the technology chief’s annual salary to $375,000.
House Bill 499 would have required the chief information officer’s salary to remain no higher than the best-paid counterpart among the seven states bordering Kentucky. Contemporary reporting identified Tennessee’s salary of $200,112 as the highest in that comparison. Under that benchmark, the Kentucky salary could have fallen by $174,888, or nearly 47%.
The General Assembly had previously lifted the office’s salary cap, which had stood at $160,000. Lawmakers later learned that the administration had approved a $215,000 raise. The amount drew attention because it was substantially above reported compensation for comparable state technology posts.
Earlier coverage also examined professional and political connections between the governor and the technology chief. Read that related archival report about the appointment, compensation and prior working relationship.
The bill’s sponsor said at the time that the legislation was not personal and that the central concern was whether the salary was reasonable. He indicated that a modest premium above a neighboring state’s rate could help recruit qualified candidates, while arguing that the existing amount went too far.
Lawmakers’ stated goal was to create a clear regional benchmark while preserving room to recruit experienced technology leadership.
The sponsor also noted that he had supported higher salary limits elsewhere in state government when they were intended to attract specialized talent. He said legislators had expected the technology post’s compensation to remain closer to earlier executive salary increases—around $250,000—and believed his proposal had a realistic path through the House.
The administration defended the salary at the time by arguing that the chief’s experience could command substantially more in the private sector. The original report noted that representatives of the administration did not respond to questions about House Bill 499 before publication.
This archival version has been edited for clarity and present-day context. It does not assert that the 2019 bill or salary remains in effect.