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A RESOLUTION honoring the life and accomplishments of former Kentucky 1
Governor Martha Layne Collins. 2
WHEREAS, Martha Layne Hall was born on December 7, 1936, in Sh elby County, 3
Kentucky, to the late Everett L. and Mary Lorena Taylor Hall. She grew up in Bagdad, 4
Kentucky, and graduated from Shelbyville High School; and 5
WHEREAS, in 1959, Martha Layne Hall earned her Bachelor of Science from the 6
University of Kentucky, and won the title of the Kentucky Derby Queen; and 7
WHEREAS, while student teaching in Scott County, Martha Layne Hall met and 8
married a Georgetown College graduate, Bill Collins. While her husband pursued 9
dentistry at the University of Louisville, they beg an their life together in Louisville, 10
Kentucky, and she began teaching in the Jefferson County Public Schools; and 11
WHEREAS, after moving to Woodford County and continuing to teach in the 12
public schools, Martha Layne Collins organized Woodford County's firs t Junior Miss 13
Pageant, and became known for her organizational skills; and 14
WHEREAS, in 1971, Martha Layne Collins became an active participant in 15
politics, and she applied her keen organizational skills and her ability to collaborate, 16
corral, and build con nections with people from all backgrounds to become an 17
instrumental aide for Wendell Ford during his campaign for Governor; and 18
WHEREAS, her efforts in the successful campaign were recognized by the newly 19
elected Governor Ford, as she was named Kentucky's Democratic national 20
committeewoman; and 21
WHEREAS, in 1975, Martha Layne Collins won the election to serve as Clerk of 22
the Kentucky Court of Appeals. When that elected office was eliminated by 23
constitutional reform in 1976, she became the first Clerk of the new Supreme Court of 24
Kentucky and the first Clerk of the new Kentucky Court of Appeals. Always an educator 25
at heart, she created an educational program for county officials, school systems, and the 26
citizens of the Commonwealth to understand the constitutional changes; and 27
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WHEREAS, in 1979, Martha Layne Collins earned the nomination for Lieutenant 1
Governor as the only woman in a large field of candidates. She was part of the winning 2
ticket, and served alongside Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. as the Commonwealth's 3
Lieutenant Governor through 1983; and 4
WHEREAS, during her role as Lieutenant Governor, Martha La yne Collins stepped 5
into the Governor's ceremonial responsibilities that provided the opportunity for her to 6
spend time across the state getting to know individuals in communities, while also being 7
seen and being accessible to the public; and 8
WHEREAS, in 1 983, Martha Layne Collins chose to campaign for Governor, 9
where she promoted her ideals that government should be about "service, promptness, 10
and accessibility," and it was the handshakes and connections made across the 11
Commonwealth that contributed to the deciding difference as she won a close race for 12
Governor; and 13
WHEREAS, as the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the 14
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Martha Layne Collins continued to break ceilings by 15
championing education reforms and economic and wo rkforce development initiatives to 16
set the precedent and foundation for record growth and investment in the state; and 17
WHEREAS, Governor Martha Layne Collins was the driving force to successfully 18
recruit and forge the historic partnership with Toyota Motor Manufacturing to establish 19
and invest in a manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. After breaking ground in 20
1986, the first Toyota Camry rolled off the line in May 1988, and the operations have 21
continued to expand. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky is now Toyota's largest 22
vehicle plant in the world, employs over 9,000 individuals, and has invested over $154 23
million in community and educational initiatives; and 24
WHEREAS, during the defense of budgetary measures in Governor Martha Layne 25
Collins's administration of the budget, a pivotal Kentucky Supreme Court case decision 26
in Com. ex rel. Armstrong v. Collins cemented the ability of the General Assembly to 27
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temporarily amend or suspend an existing statute in a budget bill, and established that the 1
power of the dollar is held by the authority of the legislative branch; and 2
WHEREAS, during her tenure as Governor, Martha Layne Collins created the 3
Governor's School for the Arts (GSA). In 1987, the inaugural class hosted 120 of 4
Kentucky's most promising high sc hool sophomore and junior artists with talents in six 5
disciplines for three weeks of focused, collaborative, and innovative quality instruction 6
that was not previously accessible. Decades later, the legacy established by Governor 7
Martha Layne Collins in GS A has impacted well over 5,000 students, and each summer 8
the program now reaches over 500 artists in 10 different art disciplines; and 9
WHEREAS, the successes and lasting impact of Martha Layne Collins as Governor 10
of Kentucky are numerous and varied, as dem onstrated by projects and efforts in 11
education reform, economic development, energy, and the environment; and 12
WHEREAS, even as her service to the Commonwealth as Governor concluded in 13
1987, Martha Layne Collins continued her interests in education and prov en business 14
acumen, serving as president of St. Catharine College for six years, the Executive -in-15
Residence at the University of Louisville's School of Business, director of the 16
International Business and Management Center at the University of Kentucky's C arol 17
Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics, and a Resident Fellow at the Harvard 18
Kennedy School Institute of Politics; and 19
WHEREAS, from 1998 to 2012, Martha Layne Collins served as an Executive 20
Scholar in Residence at Georgetown College, and is remembered by her powerful 21
presence on campus, her strength in leadership, and her distinguishing ability to form 22
connections among people; and 23
WHEREAS, Martha Layne Collins passed away peacefully on November 1, 2025, 24
at the age of 88. She is survived by h er husband, Dr. Bill Collins; her son, Steve (Diane) 25
Collins; her daughter, Marla Collins (Dudley) Webb; and her grandchildren, Dr. Taylor 26
Collins, Catherine Collins (Preston) Messer, Alex Webb, Will (Mary) Webb, and Ellie 27
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Webb; and her great-grandson, Eli Messer; 1
NOW, THEREFORE, 2
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 3
Kentucky: 4
Section 1. The members of the Senate do hereby honor the life and 5
accomplishments of former Governor Martha Layne Collins and posthumously recognize 6
her for the demonstrated dedication and service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and 7
its citizens. 8
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 9
Resolution to Senator Reginald L. Thomas for delivery to Dr. Bill Collins. 10