FRANKFORT- Tuesday was 4-H Day in Frankfort! It is possibly my favorite legislative day of the year. I am a proud alum from the Boyd County Saddlelites horse club and Carter County speech, pig, electricity, and cattle programs. I still have great memories from Congress, Camp, and the State Fair. The 4-H program provides a lifetime of valuable instruction and life lessons. These are our future leaders! I want to send a huge thank you to our UK Extension Agents, local boards, volunteers, mentors, and parents for all they do for this extinguished program.
I was proud to sponsor Senate Bill (SB) 217 that passed on the Senate floor on Friday. Despite the fact that the Department of Fish and Wildlife is located within the Tourism Cabinet, the funding mechanism of the department relies solely on the support of sportsmen and women. It operates through fees such as licensing to sustain itself. My bill, SB 217, intends to provide the department with more autonomy and grant more independence to the commissioner and the council, with less interference from other agencies. This is a solution that is always a work in progress; yet, it is necessary to continue supporting our sportsmen and women in Kentucky. The measure now goes to the House for further action.
I also carried a Senate Resolution (SR) adopted by the Senate, prompting Central Bank and the Lexington Center Corporation to change their policies. SR 147 urged the Lexington Center Corporation to not remove cash as a payment option for parking and concessions. Following its adoption, the group moved to begin accepting cash as a payment option. The measure was cosponsored by the Senate President and Majority Floor Leader. Some prefer carrying cash instead of a credit or debit card. I am glad to see this measure pass and that the policy has changed.
The two-year state budget passed out of committee and landed on the Senate floor for a vote by the body on Tuesday. However, we did not take up the original House proposal, but rather an amended plan from the Senate Republican Majority.
House Bill (HB) 1, the two-year budget plan, is another step closer to passage after the Senate voted Wednesday to approve the amended bill and return it to the House for concurrence. It is the first time since 2018 that the Kentucky General Assembly is working to pass a biennium budget. Economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic led the legislature to pass two single-year budgets in 2020 and 2021.
The proposed $105 billion proposal includes funds for state employee raises, school needs, a training range for police, more lung cancer screening, major renovations to the state Capitol, improvements to state parks, and many other efforts. The Senate plan also includes money for one-time tax rebates for Kentuckians and the first raise for most state employees in 15 years. The raises amount to roughly 10 percent per employee in the first year, with an additional 10 percent raise in the second year based on recommendations from the state personnel cabinet.
Several other items in the Senate’s proposed budget include:
- A $4,800 raise for social workers in the first year and an additional 10% raise in year two;
- A roughly 30% raise for state medical examiners along with 22 new positions in the office;
- Base funding for public universities and $97 million each year for the performance-based funding model for higher education;
- A $4 per day per diem increase for local jails;
- Full funding for a firing range at the Department of Criminal Justice Training. The budget would also set the stage for a new training academy in Madisonville with appropriations in the second year;
- An increase in law enforcement training stipends to $4,300 per year;
- An allocation of $500,000 to audit the state’s workforce initiatives;
- $5 million for child advocacy centers, $3.5 million for domestic violence centers, $1.5 million for rape crisis centers, and $1 million for substance abuse program review;
- $215 million in one-time funding to shore up the Kentucky State Police Retirement System;
- $250 million in year two for upgrades to the state parks system;
- $250 million in year two to renovate the state Capitol, which faces challenges with leaking, peeling paint, an old HVAC system, and other problems;
- $200 million for renovations of the state fairgrounds;
- $25 million for county clerks for an online deed system and voting machines;
- A $75 million grant pool for nonprofits;
- A $200 million transportation project fund as requested by the governor; and
- 200 new guard positions for the commonwealth’s prisons.
In short, there are some things in the proposal I appreciate, especially the long-overdue raise for our state employees; however, I also have many questions and concerns, especially regarding the state’s SEEK formula being reduced and the money for full-day kindergarten being absent in the Senate proposal.
Moving forward, I hope there is bipartisan input for all of Kentucky, for all of the people represented, and for all of the areas represented in this commonwealth. It is important that everyone has their viewpoints heard in this budget and that it continues to go forward in a transparent process. I remain hopeful and will continue to fight to protect public education and move our public employee and teacher retirement plans in the right direction while protecting our most vulnerable citizens.
The budget agreed upon in the Senate is not the final budget we will ultimately enact. It is merely another step in the process. I voted yes on the bill, not necessarily because I agree with everything in it, but to move it forward in the process. The Senate’s budget measure cleared the Senate with a vote of 30-6 and now heads back to the House. If lawmakers in the House do not concur with the Senate changes, the two chambers would next appoint a conference committee. The conference committee, typically consisting of leaders in the House and Senate, would then work to hash out the details before ultimately passing a final product. Stay tuned!
Outside of the budget, other notable bills also made their way off the Senate floor this week.
Bills passed in the Senate this week:
SB 164 establishes the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program statewide in Kentucky along with a trust fund to help support it. The program would oversee efforts to expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Kentucky – a book-gifting program for infants and young children. SB 164 passed in the Senate 33-1.
SB 125 requires peace officers and animal control officers to serve notice of seizure of an animal subjected to cruelty. This bill scares me because it forces someone to hand over private property without due process. I filed a floor amendment regarding the lack of protections for private property. However, it failed on a voice vote. The measure passed 24-7.
SB 170 prohibits the sale or distribution of “intoxicating hemp-derived products.” I have been a long-time proponent of growing the hemp industry in Kentucky. I believe this bill could potentially hurt the up-and-coming industry. SB 170 passed by a vote of 23-13. I voted no.
SB 216 establishes new and updates existing voting procedures in the state. The bill would prohibit credit cards or other non-issued government identification to be used as identification when voting. I voted “NO” on this bill because it limits voter access. It passed 22-10.
SB 205 requires governmental entities to review and divest from companies who engage in protesting or boycotting energy businesses in Kentucky. I voted yes. It passed in the Senate 26-5.
SB 265 directs the Governor to replace the members of the Kentucky State University (KSU) Board of Regents. The bill declares that the current board of regents is no longer functioning according to its statutory mandate and would require the Governor to name eight nominees for the board by April 1 for passage by April 14.
For additional information on bills passed in the Senate and other measures making their way through the process, visit the legislative record online at legislature.ky.gov.
As we enter the final stages of the 2022 session, having your voice heard is more important than ever. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. To share feedback on an issue, you can email me at Robin.Webb@lrc.ky.gov or call the General Assembly Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 711.