Second week of regular session sees election legislation move on

The second week of the 154th regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly saw a Senate bill become the first piece of legislation to pass out of a chamber. The measure would move gubernatorial elections to the same day Americans go to the polls to pick presidents.

The legislation, known as Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), would save local governments across Kentucky about $13.5 million every four years. The substantial savings would come because SB 3 would also align the elections for all statewide constitutionally elected officials with the presidential elections. That would eliminate an entire election cycle the state currently pays to stage for not only the governor but also treasurer, auditor, attorney general, secretary of state and agriculture commissioner.

Supporters of SB 3 said it would also increase voter turnout because more people show up at the polls for presidential races. This, they maintained, would lessen voter apathy in Kentucky and engage more voters in down-ballot state races.

SB 3, deemed a priority by majority caucus leadership, passed by a 31-3 vote. It now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Since the bill is actually a proposed change to the Kentucky Constitution, it would also have to be ratified by voters before taking effect.

Another measure passed was Senate Bill 11 (SB 11), legislation designed to discourage tenants from damaging rental properties after they are evicted. It would clarify current criminal mischief statutes to make it clear intentionally damaging rental properties is a prosecutable crime.

Supporters said that, in turn, would help property managers more easily identify people with a history of trashing rental units when vetting prospective tenants through criminal background checks. Opponents said they feared domestic violence victims would be criminally charged for damage caused by abusive partners. They also said it could be used by unscrupulous property owners to turn local prosecutors into debt collectors.

SB 11 passed by a 29-5 vote. It too goes to the House for consideration.

On Tuesday, Kentuckians and legislators from both sides of the aisle listened to Governor Beshear’s proposed policy goals and recommendations to the Kentucky General Assembly in his first State of the Commonwealth Address. The Governor also noted his legislative priorities for 2020, which included fully funding pension obligations, criminal justice reform, and plans to improve Kentucky public education, starting with a statewide teacher salary increase.

As the legislature begins to prepare the biennial budget, Governor Beshear will also be delivering a budget address on January 28. Both of these addresses are customarily presented each year by the governor and serve as a beneficial element in our state’s separation of powers. We eagerly await to hear how the Governor plans to execute the ideas he has laid out.

Crafting a budget will not be an easy task. Demands placed on state government by our priorities, and other costs continue to outpace revenue growth. In the coming weeks, legislative branch staff and other resources will be utilized to help the General Assembly better determine a path forward for this year’s budgetary balancing act. Per the Kentucky Constitution, budget bills must start in the House. I will keep you informed as the Senate begins to deliberate budgetary matters in the coming weeks.

While the new administration formulates its agenda and presents it to the legislature, the majority leadership in the General Assembly is continuing to move forward with a legislative agenda supported by Kentucky voters. Committee meetings are now in full swing, as this past week legislators began discussing bills recently assigned to their respective committees.

In our first meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, in which I serve as Chairman, we received a briefing on the implementation of 2019’s Senate Bill 1, the School Safety and Resiliency Act. I was encouraged by the information that we were provided. I would like to thank the representatives from the Center for School Safety, Dept. of Behavior Health, Dept. of Education, and Dept. of Criminal Justice training for their thorough report. I look forward to continuing to work with these parties and others as we make our students’ safety our top priority.

A piece of legislation that will positively impact the safety of students’ health is Senate Bill 56 (SB 56). SB 56 was passed unanimously out of the Health & Welfare Committee on Wednesday. The committee actually heard student testimony in favor of the legislation, and received a presentation from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. SB 56 ensures Kentucky complies with federal minimum legal age for the sale of tobacco products and it eliminates purchase, use, and imposes possession penalties for youth up to age 21. This will promote a healthier lifestyle in young people susceptible to peer pressure, by keeping tobacco products out of their hands.

As we head into the third week of the 2020 Regular Session, your input is greatly appreciated. Kentuckians have many avenues to follow the General Assembly throughout the session, including seeing legislative action in person here in Frankfort, or viewing online at KET.org/legislature.

If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please call the toll-free line at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at Max.Wise@LRC.ky.gov. You can review the Legislature’s work online at www.legislature.ky.gov

Note: Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) represents the 16th District which encompasses Adair, Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne Counties. He is the chairman of the Education Committee; as well as co-chairman of the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee. Senator Wise is also a member of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee; the Health and Welfare Committee; the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee; the Public Assistance Reform Task Force; the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation.