Daviess Co. Democrats host expert panel on 2024 KY legislative session

Moderated by Daviess Co. Democrats Chair Larry Miller, the panel included Forward Kentucky publisher and editor Bruce Maples, Kentucky AFL-CIO Recording Secretary and labor lobbyist Kevin Walton, and Kentucky Wesleyan College Director of Equity and Inclusion Lori Thurman. 

Panelists discussed the Republican-dominated legislature's continued fight against families, working men and women, and public education with a focus on how our local legislators voted.

Topic: Proposed Changes in Constitution

The legislature approved placing two possible changes in the Kentucky Constitution on the fall election ballot for a vote by the people.

One question will be whether or not state money should be awarded to private and religious schools.

The other one is whether or not non-citizens should be allowed to vote.

Topic: Passed Bills

The following bills were passed and will become law:

• HB1-Budget, including increased money for schools, but no raises were mandated for teachers. 
• HB7—Regulates framework for autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems.   
• HB 5—Creates a new offense of unlawful camping, making sleeping outside in a public area illegal.  May increase incarceration costs by one billion dollars.
• SB 20—Provides for more youths (15 or more years old) can be tried and sentenced as adults. Applies to gun-related offenses.   
• HB 18—Bans local source-of-income discrimination ordinances.
• SB 2—Schools can employ “armed” guardians for vacant law enforcement positions.
• HB 136—Allows air polluters in Jefferson County undergoing environmental audits to avoid fines and keep secret the investigation, if they self-report.
• SB 16—Prohibits the operation of unmanned aircraft, video or audio recording devices, or photography equipment on or above a concentrated animal feeding program or commercial food manufacturing processing facility.
• SB 349—Covers many aspects of energy oversight. Constrains a utility's ability to decommission coal-fired power plants.
• HB 10--Momnimus” directs Kentucky to take steps to improve maternal health.
• SB 167—Makes cursive writing a course of study in elementary schools.
• HB 8—Eases the way for the legislature  to cut income tax rates in the future, exempts currency and bullion from sales tax.
• Multiple bills were passed to take power from the governor and give the powers to the legislature, or to a special election.

Topic: Bills That Failed

• SB 80—Voters could not use a student or employee identification card for voting.  Removes use of a credit or debit card as a secondary form of identification to confirm a voter’s identity.
• SB 61—Terminates early voting. 
• SB 6 and 9—These bills limit any diversity programs, or discussion of diverse needs in schools. 
• HB 191—Requires local school boards of education
• SB 20—Provides for more youths (15 or more years old) can be tried and sentenced as adults. Applies to gun-related offenses.  Passed.
• HB 124—Gives persons convicted of a crime an opportunity to apply for a position of public employment, or obtain an occupational license. 
• HB 367—Will reinstate a financial asset test and make income requirements more restrictive for SNAP applicants.  Would drop over 25,000 households off SNAP benefits.
• HB 224—Targets student conduct on campuses and free speech. 
• HB 304—Changes ways schools may deal with students and parents. 
• HB 85—Reduces the number of required emergency technicians from two to one for underground coal mines with 15 or fewer working at a time. 
• HB 255—Removes limits for working minors of 30 hours per week, 6 hours weekdays, 8 hours weekends, and allows dangerous jobs such as use of ladders or unloading vehicles. 
• HB 605—Schools and building trades.  Was supported by unions.
• HB 124—Gives persons convicted of a crime an opportunity to apply for a position of public employment, or obtain an occupational license.