We have reached the halfway point of the 2018 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, and we are on our way to having a pension reform bill filed. We are confident that the pension proposal will reflect a significant amount of changes as a result of the feedback you, our constituents, have offered on this important subject. We also continued our work on the state budget and road plan and passed a number of bills this week.
We passed a number of bills beginning with Senate Bill (SB) 30, which is a companion bill to Marsy’s Law which lays out technicalities of the constitutional amendment. Marsy’s Law was passed by both chambers with overwhelming support earlier this session. We also passed SB 97, clarifying laws pertaining to municipal annexation.
SB 25 also passed early in the week. This bill is another step to help local communities address “taxation without representation” problems by preventing local governments from raising taxes without citizen oversight. SB 102 relates to the evaluation of children for special education services and would require the initial evaluation and determination of a four-year-old child’s eligibility for special education services to occur within 60 calendar days of parental consent.
Senate Joint Resolution 52 encourages the Kentucky Department of Education to collaborate with the University of Kentucky to implement and bolster the Kentucky Peer Support Network Project in public schools across the Commonwealth. These peer support programs offer incredible support to students with disabilities as well as teaching essential academic and social skills to all students involved.
We also passed a number of House bills this week, some of which will now head to the Governor to be signed into law. House Bill (HB) 92 allows jail canteen profits to be used for the enhancement of jail safety and security, whereas profits were previously returned to the jailer. HB 84, known as “Courtney’s Law,” would help honor the wishes of organ donors who die outside of a hospital setting. The last bill to pass was HB 150, which would change the name of the Surplus Agricultural Commodities Advisory Committee to the Farms to Foodbanks Advisory Committee and reorganize statutes appropriately.
District 5 was out in full force again this week as I met with Magistrates from Edmonson and Hart Counties, educators from all over the district, and pediatric cancer survivors. Also, I met with the County Judge Executives from Hart, LaRue, Breckinridge, and Grayson Counties. Your voice is truly vital to the process and I urge you to make the trip to Frankfort.
Finally, I’d like to end with a shout-out to Hodgenville in honor of their 200th Anniversary!
As we continue our work on the budget and the pension proposal, I want to thank you for your input on the work of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is an honor to represent you in Frankfort.
If you have any questions or comments about public policy issues, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at Stephen.Meredith@LRC.ky.gov. You can also review the legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.
By Sen. Steve Meredith
