Late nights, packed committee meetings, and heated debate marked the fifth week of
the 2017 Session. The Senate is quickly passing the remaining Senate bills out and
receiving bills from the House for consideration. While there were some contested
issues, the Senate conducted itself in a bipartisan fashion. We wasted no time this
week and passed over 40 pieces of legislation including:
· Senate Bill 9<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB9.htm>, redistricting of
judicial districts in order to better align caseloads with current census data. I
did not support this bill out of concerns its impact would have on the case load in
McCracken County courts and fears of alienating residents in Ballard and Carlisle
Counties. Because of the proposed changes, it will be very difficult to get a
candidate from one of those counties elected to a judgeship;
· Senate Bill 11<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB11.htm>, “The Leeper
Act,” is my priority bill for the session. This bill would lift Kentucky’s nuclear
moratorium, clearing the way for the construction of nuclear power plants to keep
Kentucky competitive with the energy portfolios of surrounding states. This bill
would also open the door to related economic possibilities in our region;
· Senate Bill 13<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB13.htm>, providing the
next step in obtaining federal funding to build a veterans nursing home in Bowling
Green;
· Senate Bill 32<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB32.htm>, a bill I
sponsored, requires that felony and Class A misdemeanor drug convictions be entered
into the state KASPER system. This information will assist physicians when making
prescribing decisions in the midst of a statewide opioid epidemic;
· Senate Bill 39<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB39.htm>, another bill I
sponsored, would bring oversight and accountability to the office of jailer in those
Kentucky counties who do not operate a jail;
· Senate Bill 81<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB81.htm>, providing
line-of-duty death benefits for National Guard or Reserve members;
· Senate Bill 112<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB112.htm>, injecting
more funding into the State Police Retirement System. This bill will improve the
unfunded liability in the KSP Pension Fund and free up additional transportation
funds, which will be used for transportation projects;
· Senate Bill 136<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB136.htm>, requiring
any active member of the Kentucky National Guard to be given in-state tuition when
enrolling in a Kentucky university;
· Senate Bill 188<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB188.htm>, prohibiting
the Kentucky General Assembly from imposing mandates on cities without providing a
funding source for said mandate;
· Senate Bill 190<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB190.htm>, allowing
children in foster care to remain in the same school even if they change housing
locations;
· Senate Bill 195<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB195.htm>, permitting
certain juvenile records to be expunged when established conditions are met. I
supported this bill after the sponsor, upon my request, agreed to leave discretion
in the judge’s hands rather than making expungement automatic;
· Senate Bill 236<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB236.htm>, permitting a
parent or legal guardian to request a background check of the child abuse and
neglect registry records when employing a child care provider for his or her minor
child;
· Senate Concurrent Resolution
78<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SCR78.htm>, designating April 6, 2017, as the
World War One Centennial Day throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky;
We also passed two notable House bills, aimed at helping Kentucky’s foster children,
which are on their way to the Governor to be signed. House Bill
180<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/hb180.htm> eases the process of placing a
foster child with relatives, and House Bill
192<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/hb192.htm> allows a minor who is in the
custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to obtain a driver’s license
with the proper application.
Additionally, Senate Bill 2<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB2.htm>, which
encourages transparency throughout the Kentucky Retirement Systems, is on its way to
be signed by Governor Bevin. Senate Bill
4<http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/SB4.htm>, establishing medical review panels
that will ultimately lower the number of frivolous lawsuits and save taxpayer
dollars, is also heading to the Governor’s desk.
The 2017 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly is nearing its end. Friday marked
Day 23 of 30 of the session and this was our last full week in the Kentucky Senate
Chambers. Sine Die, the last day of session after the concurrence and veto period,
is March 30. The next few weeks will be focused on wrapping up committee meetings
and passing House bills.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who traveled from our region to visit the
Capitol this week. Your support and input is very important to me as I make
decisions on your behalf. I would also like to thank all who provide input and
support via social media. Your comments are valued and considered!
If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy
issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at
danny.carroll@lrc.ky.gov<mailto:danny.carroll@lrc.ky.gov>. You can also review the
Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov<http://www.lrc.ky.gov>.
[cid:image006.jpg@01D2943B.B8191AC0]
State Senator Danny Carroll comments on a bill in the Senate on February 24. (Photo:
LRC-PI)
# # #
Note: Senator Danny Carroll (R-Paducah) represents the 2nd District encompassing
Ballard, Carlisle, Marshall and McCracken counties. Senator Carroll serves as the
chairman of the Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, as well as the
co-chair of the Program Review and Investigations Committee. He also serves as a
member of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee, the Education Committee, the
Budget Review Subcommittee on Education, the Health and Welfare Committee, the
Judiciary Committee, and the Government Nonprofit Contracting Task Force. For a
high-resolution .jpeg of Senator Carroll, please visit
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/pubinfo/portraits/senate02.jpg.