David Meade

After returning after the 2018 elections with a 61-member super majority, House Republicans nominated Meade for Speaker pro tempore, the second-highest position in the House of Representatives. Upon his election by the majority party, Meade remarked that he was "honored and humbled" by the vote of confidence from his colleagues. When the full House of Representatives convened on January 8, 2019 for the 2019 session, Meade was formally elected to the position by the full body without opposition. The House Speaker pro tempore is one of five members of majority leadership, and is responsible for assisting the Speaker of the House and presiding over the body in his absence. During his time in the legislature, the American Conservative Union gave him evaluations of 77%, 89%, 74% and 83%.

Meade's work on child welfare issues continued in the 2019 session, including spearheading passage of a foster child 'bill of rights.' HB 158 grants 16 statutory rights to children in out-of-home placement, including the right to "adequate food, clothing and shelter," a "safe, stable and secure family," and more. The legislation also makes an individual's voluntary consent to place a child for adoption final after 72 hours, down from the former 20 day revocation period, in order to further incentivize families to adopt Kentucky children. Meade also passed HB 446 in 2019, which is another measure to speed up adoptions, ease burdensome restrictions on foster parents and give foster parents a stronger voice in court proceedings involving the termination of parental rights. Both measures passed with widespread bipartisan support.

After sending the legislation onto the Governor with just one dissenting vote on April 2, 2018, Meade described passage of the measure as the proudest moment of his legislative career. Numerous advocates praised the bipartisan measure, including the Kentucky Baptist Convention and Kentucky Youth Advocates, and Meade co-wrote with First Lady Glenna Bevin that the bill would "transform Kentucky's social services, providing hope and an easier route out of state care for some of our most vulnerable citizens."

Thanks to his work on child welfare issues, Meade was awarded the sixth annual Mary Ellen award in September 2018 by Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the well being of children. Meade, an adoptive father in his own right, now serves as co-chairman of the child welfare legislative oversight committee that was established according to House Bill 1.

Following the formation of a House Working Group on Adoption and Foster Care Reform in April 2017, Representative Meade led the charge in pursuing comprehensive reforms to Kentucky's foster care and adoption systems. After spending the better part of a year gathering testimony and ideas for improving Kentucky's adoption and foster care systems, Meade filed legislation to revamp the systems in the form of House Bill 1, making it the top priority of the House of Representatives during the 2018 session.

Shortly after Republicans took control of the Kentucky House of Representatives in November 2016 for the first time in 95 years, Meade was elected Majority Caucus Chairman by the 64 member House Republican Caucus. According to Meade, the responsibilities of the position include overseeing the caucus, voicing their concerns and opinions to the rest of the leadership team, and nurturing a strong sense of unity within the caucus. Meade became both the first Republican Majority Caucus Chairman in Kentucky history as well as the first Lincoln County representative to serve in House majority leadership.

David Meade (born June 22, 1976) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives representing District 80 since January 8, 2013. His legislative district includes Lincoln County and part of Pulaski County. Meade serves as Speaker pro tempore of the Kentucky House of Representatives, a constitutional office and the second-highest position in the 100-member legislative chamber.