Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC) is a grassroots community organization based in Kentucky and strongly rooted in the state's eastern Appalachian region. It began in 1981 under the name Kentuckian Fair Tax Coalition, when 26 people from 12 Kentucky communities met in Hazard on August 17 of that year. The organization emerged from concerns that coal and timber companies were not contributing a fair share of tax revenue to the communities whose land and resources supported their businesses. Joe Szakos was among the founding organizers, although the organization was created through a broader collective effort rather than being identified with a single founder. KFTC's first major campaign focused on tax reform. At its first formal platform-building meeting on January 7, 1982, members prepared demands for consideration by the Kentucky General Assembly. These included an unmined mineral tax, an increased mining severance tax, and support for House Bill 44. The organization connected public revenue policy with the long-term health of rural communities, arguing that local schools, public services, and families should benefit more directly from the extraction of regional resources. During the 1980s, KFTC became involved in efforts to change Kentucky's broad-form deed laws. Those deeds had historically been used to give mineral rights holders extensive authority to mine land, sometimes without the permission of the surface landowner. After years of organizing and legislative advocacy, Kentucky amended and removed the relevant broad-form deed provisions in 1988. This campaign helped establish KFTC's continuing approach: combining community education, grassroots membership development, public demonstrations, and legislative pressure around issues affecting working-class landowners. In the early 1990s, the organization expanded its environmental justice work, drawing attention to the effects of surface and strip mining. KFTC has argued that these practices can damage soil, pollute streams and other waters, harm wildlife, and undermine the health and stability of communities located near mining operations. Its environmental work has remained closely connected to questions of land ownership, corporate accountability, mine safety, and the economic future of coalfield communities rather than treating environmental protection as separate from economic justice. KFTC is a multi-issue organization. Its work has included support for low-income people, tax and public-finance reform, safer mining standards, racial justice, and efforts to create more equal opportunities across Kentucky. Beginning in 2004, members placed particular emphasis on restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions. The campaign reflects KFTC's view that democratic institutions are stronger when affected residents can participate fully in elections and public decision-making. The organization has also supported policies intended to provide revenue for local schools, reduce sales-tax burdens on residents below the poverty line, and strengthen mine-safety provisions. Its organizing model is grounded in participation by working-class families and in building power among communities that have historically had limited influence over decisions made by coal companies, government agencies, and state legislators. KFTC's activities are statewide in scope, while its identity and much of its historical work remain closely associated with Eastern Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth was established in 1981 as the Kentuckian Fair Tax Coalition. Its origins lay in a meeting of 26 people from 12 Kentucky communities held in Hazard on August 17, 1981. The participants were concerned that coal and timber companies were extracting wealth from Kentucky without returning enough tax revenue to sustain the communities where those resources were located. Joe Szakos was one of the founding organizers. The organization's first central issue was tax reform. On January 7, 1982, members met to develop a platform for engagement with the Kentucky General Assembly. Their proposals included an unmined mineral tax, an increase in the mining severance tax, and support for House Bill 44. These demands framed taxation as a community-development and accountability issue, rather than simply a technical question of state revenue. KFTC later became an important participant in efforts to reform Kentucky's broad-form deed system. Broad-form deeds could give holders of mineral rights substantial authority to conduct mining on land even when surface owners objected. Through organizing, public advocacy, and support for legislative change, KFTC helped build pressure that contributed to the amendment and removal of the relevant provisions in 1988. The campaign became a defining example of the organization's method of combining local land concerns with statewide policy work. In the early 1990s, KFTC broadened its environmental justice agenda. Members raised awareness of the consequences of strip and surface mining, including erosion, water pollution, damage to wildlife habitat, and unhealthy living conditions for nearby residents. KFTC's opposition to destructive mining practices was connected to concerns about corporate responsibility, land rights, public health, and the economic dependence of Appalachian communities on extractive industries. The group subsequently developed into a multi-issue organization serving working-class families throughout Kentucky, while retaining particularly strong connections to Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia. Its work has included advocacy for fair taxation, low-income assistance, mine safety, environmental protection, racial justice, and policies intended to provide greater opportunity to marginalized residents. The organization has supported an unmined coal tax intended to help fund local schools and has advocated reducing sales-tax burdens for residents living below the poverty line. Beginning in 2004, KFTC made restoration of voting rights for people with felony convictions a prominent part of its work. The campaign reflects the organization's broader belief that affected communities need a meaningful voice in political decisions. KFTC has also continued to promote racial justice and equal opportunity across the state. KFTC's identity is therefore not limited to a single policy area. It operates as a grassroots membership organization that connects economic justice, environmental protection, democratic participation, and racial equality. Its historical base is the Appalachian coalfield, but its stated concerns encompass communities across Kentucky and the structural relationships among corporate power, public policy, land ownership, taxation, and civic participation.

• 2004

  Voting-rights restoration campaign begins

  [1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  KFTC began a sustained focus on restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions.

• 1988

  Broad-form deed provisions changed

  [1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  After legislative organizing and advocacy, Kentucky amended and removed broad-form deed laws that could permit mining without surface-owner permission.

• 1982

  First legislative platform

  [1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Members developed proposals for an unmined mineral tax, a higher mining severance tax, and support for House Bill 44.

• 1981

  Organization founded as the Kentuckian Fair Tax Coalition

  [1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Twenty-six people from 12 Kentucky communities met in Hazard on August 17 and began the organization that would later be known as Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

A member-led, multi-issue grassroots organization representing working-class communities in Kentucky, particularly Appalachian coalfield communities, through campaigns for economic, environmental, racial, and democratic justice.

• 2004Restoration of voting rights

  Kentucky

  KFTC began organizing to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions and to broaden democratic participation in Kentucky.

  Outcome. The issue became a continuing part of the organization's democracy and civic-participation work.

  Source
• 1990Environmental justice and anti-strip-mining organizing

  Eastern Kentucky · Appalachia

  Beginning in the early 1990s, KFTC raised awareness of the effects of surface mining on soil, water, wildlife, and residents' living conditions.

  Outcome. Environmental protection, mine safety, and accountability remained central elements of KFTC's multi-issue platform.

  Source
• 1982Unmined mineral and coal tax advocacy

  Kentucky

  The organization promoted an unmined mineral tax and a higher mining severance tax as ways to direct more value from mineral extraction toward local communities and schools.

  Outcome. KFTC continued to support an unmined coal tax and related public-revenue policies.

  Source
• 1981Fair taxation for coal and timber communities

  Kentucky · Eastern Kentucky

  KFTC originated around the argument that coal and timber companies should pay a fair share of taxes to support healthy Appalachian communities and public services.

  Outcome. The campaign established taxation and corporate accountability as continuing parts of KFTC's organizing agenda.

  Source
• 1980Broad-form deed reform

  Kentucky · Appalachia

  KFTC participated in a campaign to prevent mineral-rights holders from using broad-form deeds to mine land without the permission of surface owners.

  Outcome. Kentucky amended and removed the relevant broad-form deed provisions in 1988.

  Source
• Racial justice and equal opportunity

  Kentucky

  KFTC advocates racial justice and policies intended to expand equal opportunity for residents across Kentucky.

  Source

• 2004

  Make voting-rights restoration a major organizing priorityStrategy

  Background

  KFTC linked political participation with its broader goals of economic and social justice.

  Action taken

  The organization began sustained advocacy to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions.

  Aftermath

  Voting access became a continuing part of KFTC's democracy work.

  Source

• 1988

  Support reform of broad-form deed lawsOther

  Background

  Broad-form deeds could allow mineral-rights holders to mine land without the consent of surface owners.

  Action taken

  KFTC supported legislative efforts to change and remove the relevant broad-form deed provisions.

  Aftermath

  Kentucky amended and removed the provisions in 1988.

  Source

• 1981

  Build a grassroots organization around fair taxationStrategy

  Background

  Founding participants believed resource-extracting companies were not contributing fairly to the communities affected by coal and timber production.

  Action taken

  They formed the Kentuckian Fair Tax Coalition, later renamed Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and organized around tax reform and community power.

  Aftermath

  The organization evolved into a multi-issue Kentucky grassroots group.

  Source

• 2004

  Voting-rights restoration becomes a major KFTC campaign[1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Regulation

  KFTC began concentrating more heavily on restoring voting rights for Kentuckians with felony convictions, linking electoral participation with broader democratic and economic-justice goals.

• 1990

  KFTC expands its focus on strip-mining impacts[1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Regulation

  During the early 1990s, KFTC increased public education and organizing concerning the effects of surface mining on soil, water, wildlife, and the health of Appalachian communities.

• 1988

  Kentucky changes broad-form deed laws after organizing campaign[1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  Following sustained legislative advocacy involving KFTC, Kentucky amended and removed broad-form deed provisions that had enabled mineral-rights holders to mine land without the surface owner's permission.

• 1982

  KFTC develops its first legislative platform around tax reform[1]Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  At its first major platform-building meeting, the organization prepared demands concerning an unmined mineral tax, a higher mining severance tax, and related legislation intended to increase the contribution of coal and timber companies to Kentucky communities.

1. 1Kentuckians for the Commonwealthen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kentuckians for the Commonwealth official websitekftc.org