She's a pro-business Democrat with an entrepreneurial streak and nonprofit work experience.

State representative and Dawn Worth is a newcomer to Frankfort.

Elected in November, she's anxious for the lawmaking session to resume next week to get to work on tough issues around education, reproductive health care and housing.

She sat down with me last week for a conversation about her background and legislative goals and our series, Introducing you to the 2025 freshman class of the Kentucky General Assembly, Representative Don Moore.

Thank you so much for being here.

We appreciate your time.

Wolf, thank you for having me.

What are you looking forward to the most about the next 20 something odd days in this legislative session?

My hope is that we'll be able to get some traction on some of the abortion exception and some of the abortion exceptions in the current statute to clarify what exactly is expected of our physicians in emergency and extenuating.

Circumstances when it comes to policy.

What are you least looking forward to?

I think the d-ii ban, the possibility of a DEA ban is something that really scares me.

You know, I represent part of Lexington.

I am a female.

I am a mother of two females.

And, you know, typically when you think about DUI, you're thinking about racial diversity or sexuality in this is it's a much bigger issue than that.

We're talking about anybody who is not a white Christian man who has the impact to be hurt by the lack of any DEA efforts.

And that that possibility really scares me.

You know, we continue to see race based violence, gender based violence and lots and lots of religion, religion based violence throughout our country and throughout our commonwealth.

And so it really scares me to have to be having these conversations that it might be removed.

So for our viewers who are getting to know you, what should they know about you, your background, your profession, your interests, and what you bring to the Capitol?

I am a native of the 76 district.

I grew up there very close to where I live now.

So it's kind of northeastern Fayette County.

And I spent my career in the nonprofit space I worked for, started off my career at the Healy Whitney Museum and Arts Education very quickly was put into fundraising because I was from here and knew people then worked for hospice of the Bluegrass, which is now bluegrass care navigators.

I stayed home with my kids for a couple of years, which is a one that I feel very fortunate that I got to be able to do that, but also very fortunate that I was able to go back to a job that I really loved.

So then I worked for the Lexington Public Library System for almost 11 years, doing the fundraising originally and then adding government affairs and marketing over over the time that I was there.

But I got to be on a lot of the I got to be on the library senior management team.

So helping to work on policies that were going to impact all county residents and central Kentucky for the surrounding areas as well.

I got to be involved with a lot of different community projects, everything from redistricting to on the table and our our Comprehensive Plan and Commerce Legacies Policy Council.

What are you passionate about?

What issues are really driving your activism and the Kentucky General Assembly?

Yes.

So I think a lot of I would say basically I want to be able to help make the world a better place.

For me, that comes down to education.

I think our Kentucky voters spoke pretty clearly in November that they value public education.

And I think we need to be doing more to address early childhood education and making sure that our kids are ready for school once they get there.

I think we need to be looking at other avenues.

So technical education, not every kid needs to go to college.

They don't they don't need that.

Our economy needs people who work in all different levels and skills, and we need to be investing in all of those trades.

But there are there's a huge problem with with housing as as you well know, rents aren't affordable.

It's nearly impossible to buy your first home.

Mortgage rates are being what they are as well.

But our supply isn't there.

And we've got to figure out how we can address that.

How would you describe your political ideology, not just a Democrat, but further than that, more granular.

More granular?

I would say I am a pro-business Democrat.

I have started a nonprofit.

I I've worked in nonprofit.

I have also started two businesses.

I understand the fiscal realities, but I also come at things with a very keen emphasis on helping people.

And, you know, for me, I don't mind paying taxes so long as I know that they are being well spent and that they are investing in the future of our Commonwealth.

I believe everyone should have all the opportunities in the world that they should all be open to all people and believe in creating the infrastructure where we can create believe in creating an infrastructure where all people can thrive.

Kentucky lawmakers return to Frankfort Tuesday for the remaining 26 days in this year's legislative session.

Of course, it provides live gavel to gavel coverage on air and online at Katie Dawg.