Rep. Dan Fister
(Legislative Research Commission photo)
Kentucky House Rep. Dan Fister, R-Versailles, discussed his expectations and hopes for the 2026 legislative session, which began on Jan. 6. This will be Fister’s sixth session representing Woodford County, along with parts of Jessamine and Franklin counties.
“This is a budget session, and so we worked really hard over the interim,” he said. “I was in the office nearly every day working with fellow legislators, staff, constituents to make sure I was prepared.” Kentucky’s biennial budget is passed every even year.
Beyond the budget, Fister said his priority will be to pass “Logan’s Law.”
Logan’s Law
Logan’s Law is named in honor of 6-year-old Logan Tipton, who was murdered by Ronald Exantus in his Versailles home in December 2015, where his sisters and father were also injured in the attack. Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity on the murder charge, but found guilty, but mentally ill, on the assault charges at a jury trial in March 2018. He was sentenced to 20 years for the assault convictions. However, under a Kentucky statute, the Kentucky Department of Corrections Parole Board was required to release him from prison on Oct. 1, 2025. He subsequently violated the terms of his reentry supervision and has since been returned to prison, where he will serve out in June 2026.
Fister explained that Logan’s Law will address several of the gaps that led to situations like Exantus’ early release.
“This is something (Reps.) Jason Nemes, T.J. Roberts and I have been hammering on for some time,” Fister said. “We passed some of what was needed in 2024 with the ‘Safe for Kentucky Act’ that required 85 percent of violent offenses be served and making Assault II a violent crime. This (new) bill will also get rid of mandatory early release, like what happened with Logan’s killer, and you can’t have split insanity verdicts like what happened there.”
Another part of the bill will address situations where a defendant succeeds on an insanity defense.
“What to do with these folks is really broad and vague in Kentucky,” he said. “If a violent person succeeds with a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, the state needs to be able to protect our communities from these people, and this is being addressed. It needs tightening up.”
In addition, Fister said better victim notification in these types of cases is also being built into the bill.
Given the work Fister has put in on the bill during the interim and lining up a large number of co-sponsors, he said, “This really should pass easily.”
Agriculture issues
Fister is currently the vice-chair of the House Agriculture Committee, which he said gives him a good perch to identify and advocate for policies beneficial to farmers and the agricultural community and economy.
Given the significant ag economy in Woodford County, he said it is “always a major focus for me.” Fister pointed to the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center located on U.S. 60 about two miles west of Midway Road as a major success for the county. The center partners with the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association and the University of Kentucky in “state-o- the-art research and technology involving cattle and other livestock,” he said.
Fister is drafting a bill to add beekeeping equipment to the list of agricultural materials exempt from taxation to help the growing number of honey producers in Kentucky, including some in Woodford County.
“We have also been working on an omnibus ag bill to update laws on a number of issues that will help with inspections and various licensing processes,” he said.
Children and technology
Another issue that he said his constituents have concerns about is the ability of children to access inappropriate content on the internet via smartphones, tablets and home computers.
“We would like to figure out a mechanism which would let parents put restrictions on their children’s phones and iPads,” Fister said. “The problem is bumping up against federal regulations. The cell companies don’t want to do anything for (children) over 13. But even great kids who are doing nothing wrong or intentional can stumble on content that can be harmful.”
Constituents
Fister emphasized he is always available to hear from constituents, and encouraged folks to sign up for his weekly newsletter, which is sent year-round. To sign up, go to: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/subs/House-056.html.