FRANKFORT - Just as it is often said that games are won or lost during practice, a
similar principle applies as well to legislation. Before a bill can clear the House
or Senate, it has to make it through a committee first.
That groundwork is especially crucial when it comes to the budget, which
Gov. Bevin proposed late last month and the House Appropriations and
Revenue Committee began reviewing in-depth last week. The chamber is on
track to complete this work and vote by the early days of March.
A chief point being debated is the steepness of the governor's proposed
cuts - nine percent lower than what is being spent this fiscal year - at
a time when the economy is improving. Indeed, federal statistics show
that Kentucky added 40,200 jobs between Dec. 2014 and Dec. 2015. That
includes 4,600 hired by construction companies and 7,800 by
manufacturers, two bellwether industries used to gauge consumer
confidence.
The administration has said those cuts - which would begin almost
immediately but exempt such areas as Medicaid, classrooms, public
safety, veterans and public pensions - would be made by the cabinet
secretaries. Enacting something of that size, however, deserves more
detail and legislative input.
The same goes for authorizing up to $100 million in bonds for undefined
workforce development projects and taking up to $500 million from the
state's health insurance trust fund for a use also not described.
Legislators are also questioning flat-lining per-pupil spending for
elementary and secondary students for the next two years and reducing
state support even further for postsecondary schools, which have
sustained a cumulative cut of 16 percent since 2008.
There is broad support in the General Assembly for working with the
governor to strengthen our public retirement systems - which would
receive most of the money from the cuts - and to improve workforce
training, but we need to make sure the final budget is truly a shared
vision between the two branches of government and that it continues
building the momentum Kentucky has.
While the budget discussions were moving forward last week, the House
Judiciary Committee put its support behind legislation that would tackle
synthetic drugs like Flakka, which has gained a foothold in the
northeast corner of the state. One sheriff testifying for the bill said
the effect of this particular drug is the worst he has seen in his
career. If House Bill 4 passes, trafficking in or possessing synthetic
drugs would lead to much tougher penalties.
Two bills that cleared the entire House last week have been through the
chamber before.
House Bill 70 is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by the
General Assembly and then voters in November, would automatically
restore voting rights to most felons after they serve all aspects of
their sentence. Murder, sexually related offenses and election bribery
are among the crimes that would be excluded.
Kentucky has some of the strictest laws when it comes to restoring
voting rights, and it affects tens of thousands of citizens who have
long paid their debt to society. This measure always draws bipartisan
support in the House, and there is growing hope this is the year it will
clear the Senate as well.
The other legislation familiar to the chamber, House Bill 50, would
authorize public benefit corporations, something already available in
about 30 other states. As its name implies, this legal designation
would give private businesses a chance to better verify their commitment
to serving not just their customers but their community as well.
Public benefit corporations do such things as use local suppliers, maximize
recycling and energy-saving measures, donate to charity and give their employees
time off to volunteer. While some point out that companies can already do these
things, public benefit corporations are required to take an extra step by making
sure that their investors and the public are regularly aware of how they are meeting
their social responsibilities.
Studies show these types of corporations make good business sense in their own
right. They generally weathered the country's recession better than many other
companies, and are especially attractive to younger workers who are not only looking
for a career but a cause as well.
Under House Bill 172, which passed the House unanimously on Tuesday, widowed spouses
who had been married at least five years to a teacher would be able to continue
receiving the teacher's survivor benefits even after re-marrying, something not
currently allowed. According to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System, more than
450 surviving spouses would be potentially affected if this change is enacted.
Although it is still early in the legislative journey for virtually every bill, one
did cross the finish line last week, when Governor Bevin signed Senate Bill 4 into
law. This will now require those seeking an abortion to have a face-to-face meeting
with their doctor the day before, either in person or via video conferencing. This
strengthens a late 1990s law that first established these meetings, but which the
courts have since allowed to be done through a recorded phone message.
As more bills seek to become law, it is increasingly important to let me
know your thoughts. Should you want to write, my address is Room 351A,
Capitol Annex, 702 Capitol Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601; or you can email
me at Will.Coursey@lrc.ky.gov<mailto:Will.Coursey@lrc.ky.gov>.
To leave a message for me or for any legislator by phone, please call
800-372-7181. For those with a hearing impairment, the number is
800-896-0305.
I hope to hear from you soon.
