Statement in Support of House Bill 168 – “Keegan’s Law”

By Jeff Jobe

JOBEnews

House Bill 168 addresses a gap in accountability that has existed for far too long in Kentucky law, and I support it fully—not in theory, but from lived experience.

At 15 years old, I was on the Ohio River near my hometown of Greenup, Kentucky, spending time with friends. We were taking turns towing each other behind a small, single-engine outboard boat. I was with a teacher and a friend when a faster ski boat, operated by a local man over the age of 18, ran directly over us.

The driver was not paying attention. After the collision, he fled upriver, throwing beer bottles and marijuana from his boat before returning. That moment changed my life forever.

By the grace of God, I survived—but survival came with a cost. I learned to walk again with braces and endured multiple surgeries. My life was permanently altered in ways that cannot be undone.

I hold no animosity toward the man who caused this. I pray that he recognizes the magnitude of his carelessness and the harm it inflicted on another human being. But in a small community where everyone knows everyone, I watched as he faced no meaningful consequences, made no visible changes, and showed no public acknowledgment of the seriousness of that day.

That is the failure House Bill 168 seeks to correct.

I also speak from the other side of accountability. As an adult, I have myself received a driving-while-under-the-influence charge on Kentucky roadways. At the time, I owned newspapers, and I chose to print my own citation. I let my family and friends down—but most importantly, I let myself down.

That experience reinforced a truth many of us learn the hard way: accountability matters. Consequences matter. And any law that helps any one of us regain control of ourselves before it is too late is worthy of serious consideration.

Boating under the influence should be treated with the same seriousness as driving under the influence—especially when a fatality or serious physical injury occurs. Requiring blood testing through a search warrant, aligning BUI penalties with DUI penalties, mandating safe-boating education, and ensuring proper law-enforcement notification are not excessive measures. They are reasonable, responsible, and long overdue.

My hope is simple: that no person who causes catastrophic harm through reckless, impaired behavior on Kentucky’s waterways can simply walk away without accountability.

Because I survived, I have a voice. And because I have also been held accountable in my own life, I understand the value of laws that intervene before tragedy strikes.

For those reasons, I fully support House Bill 168.