Budget proposal, several House bills getting

attention early in session

After a couple of weeks of legislation being introduced and committees beginning their work, the full body of the Kentucky House of Representatives was able to begin their work in earnest this week by voting on several pieces of legislation.

The week began with Governor Matt Bevin addressing a joint session of the House and Senate and offering his budget proposal. As has been expected, there was not a lot of positive news in the initial budget proposal. Our financial liabilities are great because of many factors, but most notably the public pension crisis, and our revenues are short. The combination thereof is not great for crafting a budget.

Governor Bevin has proposed cuts to state agencies across the board as well as the elimination of 70 various programs. While some of these cuts are reasonable, I am of the belief that some are overreaching. I would remind you that this is only an initial proposal from the governor though and the legislature has the final say on what is and is not included in the budget.

As always, I plan to be fully engaged in the budget process and working with my fellow legislators to make sure what we ultimately pass is fiscally responsible, but best serves the citizens of our Commonwealth.

As the week progressed, the House began voting on specific legislation. There were several bills that I would like to highlight which I believe will be beneficial to Kentucky.

House Bill 92 would allow jail canteen profits to be used for the enhancement of jail safety and security. As the budget tightens, we need to find creative ways to ensure that some important programs are still fully funded. This bill has the intent to do just that. The men and women who work at our local jails put their safety in jeopardy each and every day. I fully support any efforts that can be made to make them as safe as possible and was glad to support this bill. It passed the House by a vote of 88-0 and will now proceed to the Senate for its consideration.

House Bill 70 would prohibit those listed on the sex offender registry from intentionally using electronic communications for the purpose of contacting or communicating with a minor. An exception is made if that minor is their own child. As technology continually advances, we have to make sure the law keeps current and protects our most vulnerable citizens, including children. This measure will help keep those with ill intent from contacting children via the internet, texting or various other electronic means. The bill passed the House by a vote of 89-0 and now proceeds to the Senate.

Along the same lines, House Bill 120 was proposed. This bill would allow the court system the ability to deny a request from a defendant in a criminal or civil case to copy or photograph any material in their possession that shows a child engaged in sexual behavior or any material considered child pornography. The bill specifies that material would remain in the custody of law enforcement, the prosecutor or the court. Reasonable measures would be made for the defendant and counsel to have access to the material in the course of their legal defense, but that they would not be able to have access outside of supervision. This is another measure to protect our children as much as possible and one I was proud to support. It passed the House by a vote of 89-0 and now proceeds to the Senate.

House Bill 133 would exempt drivers of vehicles transporting agricultural commodities and farm supplies within a 150 mile radius from limits on hours that apply to commercial trucking. These limits were intended to apply to large scale shipping through semi-trucks. However, without this exemption, the law would apply to those moving crops from the farm to warehouses throughout the state. This bill would help clarify the intent and help our farmers get their products from the farm to a point of sale. The bill passed the House with a vote of 86-0 and now proceeds to the Senate.

Finally, on a more personal note, I would let you know that I have decided to stand for re-election as State Representative for the 83rd District again. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to be able to serve the people of our communities and be your voice in Frankfort. That is a task I do not take lightly and will continue to do my best to represent the views of Clinton, Cumberland, Russell and Pulaski counties. I appreciate all the encouragement I have received from people of our district over the past few months and, with your support, I look forward to continuing to make sure our region has a voice at the table!

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.