Since adjourning the 2021 Regular Session, I have used this update to share how we were preparing for this session.
Interim committees met and heard testimony, gathered information, and focused on how to use the knowledge and data gained to craft thoughtful, intentional policies to help address the challenges our state faces.
Because we did our homework, we are ready for this legislative session. When we gaveled in on Tuesday, we hit the ground running because we were well-prepared for the task. We took action on bills that redraw the state’s legislative, congressional, and supreme court districts. These bills represent a plan for redistricting, the process of redrawing state and federal legislative districts to better represent trends in population after the last census.
Redistricting is required by the United States and Kentucky constitutions and the final product must meet constitutional and legal considerations, while ensuring that each person has equal representation.
The House crafted a plan for all one hundred House districts and the seven Kentucky Supreme Court districts, while the Senate drew the lines for their plan and the congressional plan. We worked to make all House and Supreme Court districts more compact, while still maintaining as much continuity as possible for constituents.
Unfortunately, four sets of my colleagues saw their districts combined because of population shifts. The plan was fairly crafted and the results have been hailed as the best redistricting effort in modern history.
Not one House district remains unchanged, and sadly this means our district will also look different. The 18th District will still include all of Grayson County but will now include the following precincts in Hardin County: Vanmeter City, Vanmeter, Country Club, Glendale, South Dixie, Sonora, Upton, Cash, East View, Stephensburg, Meeting Creek, and White Mills.
Redistricting consumed a great deal of our time during the first week, but it is far from the only issue that received our attention. On Friday, we made the historic move of filing a House budget proposal before the governor’s budget address.
The Kentucky Constitution is clear that the budget must begin in the House of Representatives. However, lawmakers have traditionally waited weeks and used the governor’s budget as a starting place. By filing our own proposal, we have an opportunity to consider the governor’s recommendations and work with our colleagues in the Senate.
I will share more about the House proposal in our next update, but I am overall pleased that it shows a commitment to meeting our state’s needs without spending every dollar available to us. Highlights include record funding for education, a continued commitment to the state’s budget reserve trust fund, and resources to provide pay increases for the Kentucky State Police, state employees, social workers, and educators.
We also filed legislation, HB 5, aimed at addressing some of the needs generated by the deadly storms that destroyed so many homes and businesses in Western Kentucky. While I expect this measure will change as needs develop, the version filed on Saturday includes $200 million in allocations and creates a fund, titled the West Kentucky State Aid Funding and Emergencies (SAFE) Fund, to oversee the allocations made with these dollars. Of that funding, the Kentucky Department of Education will receive $30 million to help provide educational services and another $15 million is earmarked for temporary housing units.
As always, I can be reached here at home anytime, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. Feel free to contact me via email at Samara.Heavrin@lrc.ky.gov. If you would like more information, please visit the LRC website www.legislature.ky.gov.
Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield
