As end of session looms, speed of bill handling picks up

The 2017 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly is rapidly drawing toward a close. With that in mind, the speed of legislation traveling through the process picked up even more during this last week. It was a bit of an exhaustive schedule with many committees having special meetings to ensure bills would have time to be considered by the full body, as well as several very late nights on the House Floor to move the process along as expeditiously as possible.

Among the bills that passed the House this past week was House Bill 520, which deals with the issue of charter schools. The issue of charter schools has received much attention over the course of the past few years and, sadly, there has been much misinformation put out, as it is a very complicated topic.

Charter schools are public schools that fill gaps where students are not being reached with traditional methods. Typically, this happens in larger urban areas where there are multiple public schools. It allows parents to decide if a charter school would better fit their children’s academic needs and provide another option, regardless of geography. Students from low income households, who often struggle to escape from poverty due to a poor educational environment, stand to benefit the most from this policy.

Logistically, the bill grants local boards of education, as well as the mayors of Louisville and Lexington, the ability to authorize public charter schools, with denials being appealed to the Kentucky Board of Education. Enrollment in the schools would be limited to students residing in the county, with preferences given to students on free or reduced lunch and in persistently low-achieving schools.

It is my hope, as I know my colleagues as well, that these schools will help provide alternative methods to help some students, mainly in urban areas, find the educational paths they need to attain a diploma and be adequately prepared to join the workforce of our Commonwealth.

Other legislation that passed the House this past week included House Bill 516, which deals with charity auctions. There has been some confusion over the past year as to whether sales tax was required to be collected from auctions for charitable purposes and, if so, was the purchaser or auctioneer responsible for submitting it. This bill exempts charitable auctions from having to pay sales tax, as long as the proceeds are used for a specified charitable purpose. A common theme of this session has been to find ways to help Kentuckians feel more comfortable with charitable giving, and this bill only adds to that. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95-0.

Offering further protection to child victims is the intent of House Bill 408. In court cases dealing with child pornography, this bill would limit the viewing of the evidence to the attorneys involved in the case and under the direction and supervision of the Administrative Office of the Courts. This legislation will help prevent any further distribution of the pornography and the re-victimization of the children involved. The bill passed the House by a vote of 81-0.

Fiscally responsible cost-saving measures are the intent of House Bill 319. This bill deals with local option elections. The legislation would require local option elections to be held on the same day as regularly-scheduled primary or general elections, unless a person or group posts bond within five days of the petition being filed and pays for the costs associated with the election. This will help save funds spent by County Clerks that deal with costs pertaining to elections, such as printing ballots and paying poll workers. The bill passed the House by a vote of 79-3.

As we enter into the final five days before we break for the scheduled veto period, I expect much legislation to be sent between the House and the Senate. Working together, we hope to identify the best bills that can be enacted into law and make Kentucky a better place in which to live!

.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.