By Sara Beth Gregory, 16th District Senator

After observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, the legislature returned to Frankfort on Tuesday to begin the third week of the session.

On Tuesday evening, members of both the House and Senate gathered in the House chamber to hear Governor Beshear’s 2014 Budget Address.

It was a significant occasion as Senate President Pro Tem Katie Stine became the first female legislator to preside over the joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

During the explanation of his proposed budget, Governor Beshear outlined a multi-faceted budget proposal of $20.3 billion dollars for the next two fiscal years.

The Governor’s proposal would provide additional funding for selected areas, including education, but it also calls for five percent cuts to most state agencies and borrows $1.9 billion in new debt. Of course, we all know it is easy to propose grand initiatives in broad strokes.

The reality though is that there is much more demand for funding than available revenue, so we will have to make tough choices to operate within our means.

It is also important to remember that the Governor’s proposal is merely the first step of the budget process. Our state Constitution directs that all spending measures begin in the House of Representatives before coming to Senate, so the budget bill will first be considered by the House.

On Wednesday, a major infrastructure project was proposed by Governor Beshear and United States Congressman Hal Rogers to expand high-speed broadband access in Kentucky. The plan would combine $60 million in state bonds and $40 million from federal and private sources to fund broadband expansion across the Commonwealth.

Later that day, it was an honor to have Congressman Rogers in the Senate Chamber. The Congressman took the opportunity to share a reminder that we are statesmen and as such we must work on issues that affect all of Kentucky. I hope this becomes a mantra for all legislators as we work together to move Kentucky forward.

Despite the hazardous weather and challenging road conditions, the Senate plowed ahead, passing bills brought to the floor this week. Among the bills passed were: Senate Bill 27, a measure that moves all elections of constitutional officers to presidential election years.

This bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel, saves local and state governments money by combining elections. It will also help engage more citizens in choosing constitutional officers with higher voter turnout.

On Wednesday, my Senate Bill 3, a measure that requires a face-to-face consultation with a physician or their designee prior to an abortion procedure, also passed the Senate by a vote of 33-5. Making sure women are fully informed about the risks and alternatives of abortion in a face-to-face conversation is a common-sense measure. This bill would close a loophole currently allowing this information to be given in a recorded telephone message. I am proud to be the primary sponsor of this pro-life legislation.

It was also appropriate that the bill passed on the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and a day when thousands of people were participating in the March for Life in Washington, DC and prayer vigils throughout the nation. The “informed consent” bill, as it is commonly known, will now go to the House for consideration.

As always, I value and appreciate your input on legislative issues that arise during the session. I invite you to contact me about issues of interest to you.

You may reach me by telephone at my office in Frankfort at 502-564-8100, or toll-free at 800-372-7181, or by e-mail at sara.gregory@lrc.ky.gov. More information about the work of the Legislature is available on the Legislative Research Commission website, www.lrc.ky.gov.