Call to Order and Roll Call
The 9th meeting of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 129 of the Capitol Annex. Senator C.B. Embry Jr., Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator C.B. Embry Jr., Co-Chair; Representative Myron Dossett, Co-Chair; Senators Paul Hornback, Stephen Meredith, Dennis Parrett, Robin L. Webb, and Whitney Westerfield; Representatives Kim King, Phillip Pratt, Rick Rand, Brandon Reed, and Dean Schamore.
Guests: Warren Beeler, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP); Bill McCloskey, Deputy Executive Director, GOAP; Aleta Botts, Executive Director, Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD); B. Mark Evers, M.D., Director, University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center (MCC); and Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., Director, University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center (JGBCC).
LRC Staff: Stefan Kasacavage, Tanya Monsanto, Kelly Ludwig, Nathan Smith, and Rachel Hartley.
The October 4, 2017, minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy Report
Warren Beeler discussed his schedule for the months of October through December.
In response to Senator Hornback, Mr. Beeler stated Breathitt Lab has increased its fees twice in the last couple of years.
Bill McCloskey described the Agricultural Development Board’s projects for October under the program. Mr. McCloskey highlighted programs including the County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP), Next Generation Beginning Farmer, Shared-use Equipment, and Youth Agriculture Incentives Program.
Requested program amendments discussed included:
· Rockcastle County Conversation District, additional $13,879 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $281, 677.
· Johnson County Agricultural Advancement Council, Inc., additional $3,700 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $51,950.
· Oldham County Farm Bureau, additional $4,450 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $29,099.
· Trimble County Cattleman’s Association, Inc., additional $16,900 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $139,540.
· Washington County Cattlemen Association, Inc., additional $40,000 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $142,000.
· Garrard County Farm Bureau, Inc., additional $42,944 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $242,944.
· Morgan County Fiscal Court, additional $19,011 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $220,093.
· Mercer County Conservation District, additional $22,423 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $157,423.
· Allen County Conservation District, additional $14,987 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $203,206.
· Grant County Cattlemens Association, Inc., additional $20,000 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $148,000.
· Menifee County Beef Producers, Inc., additional $9,292 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $72,892.
· Meade County Cattleman Association Corporation, additional $2,650 for CAIP. The board recommended approval, which would bring the program total to $48,290.
Projects discussed included:
· Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Inc., approved for $1,100 in Woodford County funds for purchasing a commercial refrigerator for its certified kitchen.
· Madison County Fiscal Court, approved for $4,620 in Madison County funds to upgrade its dead animal removal truck.
· Kentucky State University, approved for $495,000 in state funds for calendar year 2018 for personnel, demonstration projects, and mini-grants to underserved small and limited-resource farmers.
· Kentucky Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Inc., approved for $700,000 in state funds over two years as a grant to deliver technical assistance and provide educational opportunities to agricultural and rural businesses.
In response to Senator Parrett, Aleta Botts stated the increased fees related to the Kentucky Center for Agriculture Rural Development project will not come out of the $4 million federal reward.
University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center
Dr. B. Mark Evers said that lung cancer accounts for 35 percent of total cancer deaths in Kentucky compared to 28 percent in the United States from 2007 to 2011. In Kentucky, more than 28 percent of adults smoke and nearly 8,000 adults die from tobacco related illnesses annually. Health care costs caused by tobacco use are $1.92 billion annually and productivity losses caused by smoking are $2.3 billion annually.
The return on investment for the Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program (KLCRP), as a result of funding from the Tobacco Settlement is $11.34 per dollar invested. The total economic impact is $707.4 million. The program has created 5,426 jobs and generated $24 million in state and local tax revenue.
The mission of MCC is to reduce cancer mortality through a comprehensive program of research, treatment, education, and community engagement with a particular focus on the underserved population of Appalachian Kentucky.
The program utilizes funding to develop clinical trials and research that assists in leveraging larger funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Markey Cancer Center received a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation in July 2013, which increased funding by 36 percent.
The Markey Cancer Center has expanded its network throughout the state with affiliate and research sites. There are currently 20 affiliate sites with seven in the recruitment process and six research sites with three in the recruitment process.
In December 2017, MCC will open a new inpatient floor with 93 outpatient beds, including 32 in the bone marrow transplant unit. The large rooms will be able to accommodate families as well as provide patient comfort.
In November 2017, the Early Phase Clinical Trials Center will open and will be directed by Jill Kolesar, Pharm. D. It is a standalone clinic with expertise in early drug development and delivery and will offer early phase treatments.
The Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) was launched in October 2016. The board is now statewide and utilizes teleconferencing. The MTB analyzes the molecular characteristics of cancers on a case by case basis and provides individualized recommendations for treatment. The Center for Cancer and Metabolism, UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences, and the Lung Cancer Education Awareness Detection Survivorship Collaborative (LEADS) are new areas that are utilizing funds.
Through the NCI designation, MCC is able to supplement their grants to develop tobacco cessation treatment capacity and infrastructure for cancer patients. Markey CARES (Cancer-specific, Assessment, Referral, Engagement, and Support) Tobacco Program was created to examine tobacco cessation after cancer diagnosis.
Research shows highly effective efforts to improve the health of Kentuckians. Thirty-four percent of the population is currently covered by state-wide smoke-free acts. Kentucky has the highest percentage of adult cigarette use and the 12th lowest excise tax in the country.
University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center
Dr. Jason Chesney stated Kentucky has the highest rate of cancer related deaths in the country, and approximately 3,500 Kentuckians will succumb to lung cancer this year.
The funds from the Tobacco Settlement are crucial to starting clinical trials for patients that have a terminal illness. The expenditures of the Tobacco Settlement funds include those for administrative costs, NCI designation, clinical trials, early detection, fellows, and competitive research grants.
The focus of JGBCC is clinical trials to activate the immune system against cancer. The center consists of 26 staff members, three clinical investigators, and 59 translational scientists. There are currently 130-140 open trials. Approximately 700-750 cancer patients are now enrolled, and there are 250-300 accruals per year.
Most people have already had cancer at some point in their lives. White blood cells exist to fight viruses and cancer. Eventually, with time and mutations, the cancer cells find ways to evade the immune system. Within the last decade discoveries showed that immune cells have brakes that turn them on. The concept is to block the brakes from allowing the cancer to grow.
The James Graham Brown Cancer Center had successful clinical trials for melanoma patients. The patients had a 5 percent chance of survival, and most of them are alive today. The combination of drugs given to the patients was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015. The success of the drug combination depends on how many mutations the cancer typically produces, and Melanoma has the most mutations. Lung cancer has the second most mutations. James Graham Brown Cancer Center is utilizing the same combination of drugs for lung cancer.
The next meeting of the Tobacco Agreement Oversight Committee is scheduled for December 6, 2017. Documents distributed during the meeting are available in the LRC Library.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.