Rep. DJ Johnson has been recognized by the Kentucky League of Cities with a 2026 Friend of Kentucky Cities Award for his work during this year’s legislative session.
The Kentucky League of Cities presents its Friend of Kentucky Cities Award to legislators who advocate for policies affecting cities across the commonwealth.
Johnson, R-Owensboro, received the award for his work on House Bill 467, key provisions of which were ultimately incorporated into Senate Bill 50 during the 2026 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly.
The award was presented Friday by KLC Director of Government Affairs Gracie Kelly, Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson, City Commissioner Bob Glenn, and KLC Government Affairs Associate Emma Wilson.
In a release, KLC Executive Director and CEO J.D. Chaney said, “Representative Johnson has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting Kentucky’s cities and advancing practical solutions that benefit local communities.”
Kelly said the legislation creates a clearer, more transparent process for disposing of state-owned property while giving local governments an opportunity to acquire underutilized properties that can support future development.
“Representative Johnson’s leadership throughout the legislative process helped advance a policy that provides cities with greater opportunities to put unused property back to work for their residents,” Kelly said.
The legislation was prompted in part by the City of Owensboro’s efforts last year to acquire the former Owensboro Day Treatment campus on KY 54. The long-vacant, state-owned property had become a public safety concern after years of vandalism and repeated police and fire responses. Under the process used at the time, the City purchased the property from the state and immediately transferred it to a private developer for demolition and redevelopment.
Johnson said the legislation reflects his belief that decisions should be made as close to the local level as possible.
“This bill started with recognition of a property issue we had in Daviess County,” Johnson said. “The point with it is that I believe in local power as much as possible. The farther we can get decision-making down in government to the lower levels, the better it is. This allows the city to be involved up front with state property decisions, as opposed to waiting for the state to do something and then coming in at the end. That’s the entire purpose of the bill.”
Watson praised Johnson’s accessibility and responsiveness on issues affecting the community.
“The most accessible guy that you can find up there in Frankfort is DJ Johnson,” Watson said. “Anytime we have an issue, we just text him or call him, and he says, ‘I’m on it.’ Then we don’t worry about it anymore because he gets stuff done. He goes through the proper channels and does things that a lot of people won’t do just for our community, and we’re extremely happy to have him here. It’s been a blessing.”
Johnson said serving Owensboro and Daviess County has been a privilege.
“It is an honor to be able to serve Owensboro and Daviess County,” he said. “I’m excited about what we do for this community. I’m excited about this community, and it’s just fun being able to do something to help it.”
