By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Once again, the Republican supermajority in the Kentucky General Assembly has come up with a solution in search of a problem.
But this time it’s a reboot of a proposal which Kentucky voters rejected in 2022.
House Speaker David Osborne is the sponsor of House Bill 4 which would amend our state constitution to abolish the current mandatory adjournment dates of March 30 for 30-day sessions in odd-numbered years and April 15 for 60-day sessions in even-numbered years.
The bill also would give the speaker and Senate President Robert Stivers the authority to call special legislative sessions. At present, only the governor may call a special session and set the agenda to be considered.
The measure would have to be approved by voters in this year’s general election on Nov. 5. When a very similar constitutional amendment was offered to voters two years ago it failed, 53 percent to 47 percent.
With a veto-proof Republican majority in each chamber and the bill being sponsored by legislative leadership, there is no question about whether it will pass. And overturning a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear will happen easily.
The GOP leadership claimed that the ballot question the lawmakers blessed in 2022 was too wordy and complicated and that it confused voters. Now that the concept has had a test run, HB 4 has fewer words and reportedly is less complex.
In our opinion, the governor was correct in 2022 when he described these proposed changes as a “power grab”. That shoe still fits but is described in fewer words and we can bet the GOP will spend more money this time to explain its benefits so that we “confused” voters can vote “yes” and change the state constitution.
Efforts to strip the governor of existing authority gained popularity in the aftermath of Beshear’s executive actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 at the height of the pandemic.
Ironically, Beshear’s actions during the pandemic and his response to tornado and flooding disasters were cited as major factors in his reelection last year.
With a Democrat in the governor’s office and Republicans with a stranglehold on the General Assembly, Kentucky remains a house divided.(Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com).
