After the oath, it was right down to business in Frankfort

The Kentucky General Assembly convened this past week to conduct its business during the 2017 Regular Session. Gathering for the first time since the elections of this past November, the first day was primarily organizational, with all 100 members of the House of Representatives taking the oath of office, and the composition of the body being officially recognized.

Immediately after, the election for Speaker of the House was conducted. I am beyond honored that the members unanimously chose me for such an esteemed position. Surrounded by wife and daughters, I took an oath to defend the constitutions of Kentucky and the United States before being handed the gavel by former Speaker Jody Richards.

As I said in my remarks to the body that day, I look forward to this new role and to implement ways for the House of Representatives to be more efficient and effective and to represent the citizens of our commonwealth in the best way possible. It is my full intent to preside in a fair manner and to show respect to both members of the majority and minority parties. Good ideas know no party affiliation and Kentuckians not only expect, but are demanding that we work in a more bipartisan way to enact positive change for the state.

Throughout my legislative career, one of my biggest frustrations is the amount of time that has been wasted at the beginning of a legislative session. In collaboration with Senate President Robert Stivers, we immediately began the legislative process this year. And, on the second day, committees began considering legislation, which the full House considered on the third day, the earliest point possible.

It is with pride that I can let you know House Bill 2, the pro-life ultrasound bill, was the first piece of legislation to pass out of the 2017 House of Representatives. This bill has been introduced for several years and has passed the Senate, but has never been able to get a fair debate by the full House. That changed this year, and it was overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 83-12.

House Bill 2 simply provides that a woman seeking an abortion be given an ultrasound prior to the act, as a way as to give her the most comprehensive medical information possible before the procedure is conducted. The woman may choose not to view the ultrasound or hear the heartbeat, but that decision would be left up to her and not the abortion clinic personnel.

Quickly following House Bill 2, the House took up two measures designed to improve the economic climate of Kentucky. The new Republican majority in the House recognizes that jobs and the economy are the number one issue facing our state and we are determined to do everything in our ability to make our labor market as strong as possible!

House Bill 1 is the right-to-work bill. This legislation allows workers to negotiate their own wages and benefits with their employers, rather than being mandated to join a labor union to do so. I am a firm believer that a person should have the right to join a labor union, if they so desire.

However, I also firmly believe that a person should have the right to not be forcibly compelled to do so also. Additionally, making Kentucky a right-to-work state will cause us to be more attractive to businesses looking to relocate or expand.

Other states that have passed similar legislation have seen economic growth, and I truly believe Kentucky will experience that same growth with this law in place.

House Bill 3 is legislation that repeals prevailing wage provisions. Prevailing wage on public infrastructure projects artificially inflates the cost by upwards of 20 percent. These are taxpayer dollars that are being unnecessarily spent without tangible benefits. At times when our local governments, public school systems and state universities are strapped for funding, the repeal of this law will help them find the monies necessary for capital improvements.

I served as the primary sponsor of all three of these bills that I believe will vastly improve conditions in the Commonwealth. They did not only pass the House, but were approved by the Senate and signed into law by Governor Bevin. As each of them had an emergency clause attached, they are now the law throughout Kentucky!

I hope that you not only approve of the substance of these bills, but are also pleased to see that the Kentucky General Assembly is doing the job you elected us to do and are not wasting time. I have said for years that the institution had become dysfunctional and could be run better. I believe the first week of Republican control of the House of Representatives has proven that to be true.

If you would like to stay up-to-date on all legislative action of interest to you during this session of the Kentucky General Assembly, you can visit www.lrc.ky.gov or call the LRC toll-free Bill Status Line at (866) 840-2835. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. You can send me a message either at jeff.hoover@lrc.ky.gov or by calling (800) 372-7181.