Founding
Father Thomas Jefferson had a strong but little-known connection with the
constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He had personal and politically
motivated influence on the 1792 charter and secretly wrote some controversial
state resolutions. Author Denis Fleming draws on firsthand accounts from
Jefferson, John Breckinridge, and the rarely used papers of George Nicholas,
the brain behind Kentucky’s first constitution, for a dynamic discussion
demonstrating that modern reforms in job creation, education, and the structure
of government are rooted in parts of the document favored by Jefferson but
dramatically interpreted by today’s governors, legislators, and judges.
Denis
Fleming, a native of
Louisville, received his bachelor’s degree with distinction from the University
of Kentucky and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law.
After receiving his law degree, he practiced law throughout Kentucky. Later, he
served in Kentucky state government as general counsel to the Economic
Development Cabinet. In 2004, Fleming was appointed chief of staff to
Congressman Ben Chandler (KY, Sixth District) in Washington, D.C., with the
U.S. House of Representatives. After the 2012 elections, Fleming worked with
Almost Family Inc., a Kentucky-based national homecare provider as senior
vice-president and legislative counsel.