Senator Danny Carroll Legislative Update

Week 3 of the 2022 Legislative Session

I hope this letter finds you and your family well! As you know, last week was short but busy here in Frankfort.

Children are the Commonwealth’s most precious asset.  Investing in them today makes for a healthier, stronger, more economically sound Commonwealth, and the legislative measures clearing the Senate last week underscored their importance.  Four meaningful bills have been voted on and passed from the Senate Chamber, primarily on education and healthcare.

The following is an overview of bills passed by the Senate this week, which are now on their way to the state House for consideration:

Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) systematically improves the quality and delivery of reading instruction to K-3 students across the state by implementing supports and interventions and creating a streamlined curriculum-based foundation in phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. SB 9 also provides reading-specific developmental training for all teachers K-3.

Senate Bill 11 (SB 11) modernizes and strengthens oversight and care for residents in assisted living communities by transitioning these services from a certification model to a licensure model within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This bill brings assisted living communities like nursing homes under the Office of the Inspector General in CHFS, improving regulatory oversight on par with other states.

Senate Bill 55 (SB 55) gives first responders a more clear indication of where stroke victims should be transported. The bill adds a fourth level of certification called “thrombectomy capable” for hospitals equipped to care for stroke patients.  Kentucky currently has three levels of identified care: acute, primary and comprehensive; SB 55 would add thrombectomy capable as another, signifying the capability of handling blood clots.

Senate Bill 56 (SB 56) aims to save lives by making federally approved ‘opioid antagonist’ drugs more widely available. An opioid antagonist is a drug that can rapidly reverse a drug overdose and is currently only available to first responders; this bill would make it more widely available.

Also, the third week of January was National Child Advocacy week.  I was honored to be named a 2022 recipient for the Champion for Children by Kentucky Youth Advocates.

Priority legislation to tackle child abuse and neglect across the Commonwealth was filed in the Senate last week. Senate Bill 8 aims to address these issues in our Commonwealth surrounding child abuse and neglect, in which we rank 50th in the nation. That statistic is horrific and following strong attention during the first few weeks of the session to strengthen education, keep students in school and improve health care, it is imperative for the General Assembly to put measures in place to protect the most vulnerable residents in our state. Above all else, this is legislation that should bridge party lines in order to help our children and those who work tirelessly to protect them. Expect more attention on this priority bill, SB 8, in the days ahead.

Unfortunately, the governor vetoed both Congressional and House redistricting maps. The

General assembly overrode the vetoes, allowing for the laws to take effect at midnight on January 20th. The Governor failed to take action on SB2 regarding Senate maps, and they to became law on January 20th.

I did not vote in favor of the Congressional map because I fear it will diminish the power of the vote in west Kentucky, as counties to the east (central Kentucky), including Franklin, Washington and part of Anderson Counties, were added to the 1st district, while three western Kentucky counties were moved to the 2nd district.  I want to make it clear that my “no” vote was in no way a reflection on the work of Congressman James Comer. Congressman Comer maintains a constant presence in western Kentucky and fights hard for our people!  It’s the elections that will occur once he leaves office that concern me, which I believe will make it more difficult to elect a candidate from western Kentucky.

I have filed several pieces of legislation for the session, and I will update you on those bills in the weeks to come.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff with any concerns or questions that you may have. As always, thank you for the honor of representing you in the Kentucky State Senate!

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Note:  Senator Danny Carroll (R-Benton) represents the 2nd District, which includes Ballard, Carlisle, Livingston, Marshall, and McCracken Counties. Senator Carroll is chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary, vice-chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary, and co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee. He also serves as a member of Senate Standing Committees on Health and Welfare; Education; Appropriations and Revenue, and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources. Senator Carroll’s additional committee memberships include the 2022-2024 Budget Preparation and Submission Subcommittee and the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee. For a high-resolution .jpeg of Senator Carroll, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate102.jpg