The Kentucky General Assembly convenes every year, but on the even-numbered years our session lasts for 60 days and we are tasked with passing a biennial budget for the Commonwealth. Despite our disagreements, we accomplished that task with a compromise budget for Kentucky's General Fund, the Judicial system and the Legislature. Here are some of the highlights:
Before heading to Frankfort, I'm meeting with students at HCC about the "agency bonding" authority proposed in the budget, which would allow KCTCS schools to issue bonds backed by modest tuition increases ($8/credit hour) for capital projects like the Agriculture Health & Career Technology Center.
Thursday, the 45th day of the 60 day legislative session, the House passed its budget bill. This leaves us in the Senate 13 days to work on the budget, present it in a committee, and vote on a Senate version.
The Attorney General, as the top lawyer for Kentucky, refused to honor his oath of office by declining to pursue the federal appeal to defend our Constitutional definition of marriage. In an effort to combat this, I cosponsored, Senator Sara Beth Gregory's Senate Bill 221, that would give legal standing in this sort of litigation to the Senate President or House Speaker so one or both could intervene.
Rep. John Tilley (D, Hopkinsville) and I have been hard at work preparing legislation to bring about great changes to Kentucky's Juvenile Justice system. Please take a couple minutes to read our joint op-ed that has gone live across Kentucky explaining why. You can also read it at both the Lexington Herald-Leader and Louisville's Courier-Journal.
