FRANKFORT- The 2023 General Assembly is officially underway, with lawmakers meeting at the state Capitol last week for Part I of the 30-day session. A short legislative session typically consists of minor technical changes to previously passed legislation and policy areas outside the budget, which is conducted in even-numbered years. Even so, it is likely to be a busy year, with several key bills and proposals on the agenda.  

Last week, Governor Andy Beshear delivered his State of the Commonwealth address outlining his priorities for the session, laying out his vision for the future of our state. The main focal point was to continue moving Kentucky forward, and I couldn't agree more with his emphasis on strengthening our economy, improving education, and making our communities safer.

The Governor's commitment to creating jobs and growing our economy is particularly important in light of the ongoing challenges posed by the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. He touted the record-breaking economic investment in Kentucky over the last three years, encouraging the General Assembly to advance measures aimed at supporting Kentucky workers, such as funding universal pre-kindergarten, freezing the gas tax, and ensuring state employee raises, among other things. These are just several of the policies we need to look at that continue to grow our economy and help our citizens move forward as they recover from the pandemic.

Overall, the Governor's State of the Commonwealth address was a call to action. I am excited to work with my colleagues in the legislature and deliberate on these issues. I am confident that we can make the commonwealth a better place for all residents if we work together and put politics aside.  

In the latter portion of the opening legislative week, dozens of bills were filed, and members received their committee assignments. We are now attending meetings and hearing testimony from government officials, advocacy groups, and stakeholders on a variety of public policies. My committees for the 2023 Regular Session include the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary; Families and Children; Appropriations and Revenue; Natural Resources and Energy; and Agriculture. My Statutory Committee membership consists of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee; and Capital Projects and Bond Oversight.

One particular committee I am excited to get to work on this session will deal with a wide range of issues affecting Kentucky families. The Senate Committee on Families and Children will focus on child welfare, child protective services, state guardianship, and economic stability for families. Our goal is to create a supportive environment for children and families to thrive and succeed. We will also work to ensure that the rights and interests of children are protected and that they have access to the resources and services they need to grow and develop.

Additionally, I recently received an appointment as a member of the Juvenile Justice working group. The working group will focus on identifying and addressing the issues facing our state's juvenile justice system, to create a more fair, effective, and rehabilitative system for youth who enter the legal system. We will be examining issues such as detention alternatives, rehabilitation programs, and diversion programs, as well as addressing the needs of youth in the justice system who need special assistance, such as those impacted by trauma, mental health issues, and addiction. We will also be working to ensure that the rights and interests of youth are protected while in the care of the state. Our ultimate purpose is to reduce recidivism and provide young people with the tools they need to be successful and productive citizens.

I am thrilled to have been appointed to the Families and Children Committee and the Juvenile Justice working group. As a legislator and lawyer with years of experience in these areas, I look forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to the table to work towards creating a better future for families and youth in our state. I believe my background will be a valuable asset as a member of these committees. I am committed to working collaboratively with my colleagues to find meaningful solutions to the challenges before us.

I look forward to representing Senate District 18 and having our voice heard in committee deliberations. When members return to Frankfort on Tuesday, February 7, for the remainder of the 2023 session we will likely hear an abundance of issues, ranging from tax policy to health care, education, and unemployment insurance, there is no shortage of important topics we will delve into during this legislative session. 

As always, I intend to closely monitor the legislative proceedings and report on the latest developments to keep you informed. Additionally, there are readily-accessible online tools you can utilize to stay engaged and up-to-date with legislative action throughout the session. 

All that and a plethora of further information is available on the General Assembly Home Page at www.legislature.ky.gov. 

If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. To share feedback on an issue, feel free to email me anytime at Robin.Webb@LRC.KY.GOV or call the General Assembly Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 711. Senator Webb represents District 18, which includes Boyd, Carter, Greenup, and Lewis counties.

New Committee Set to Focus on Health Issues

Representative Danny Bentley

With part one of the 2023 legislative session behind us, lawmakers are now focused on what we can accomplish for our commonwealth during the remaining 26 legislative days of this year’s regular session of the General Assembly. In order to be more effective, we modified our legislative committee structure and I thought I might use this update to focus on that change, as well as provide a summary of last week’s joint meeting of the House and Senate Health Services Committee.

Until this year, the Health and Family Services Committee was the first stop in the House Chamber for almost all legislation and regulations pertaining to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Topics such as Medicaid, health care delivery, regulated child care, and public assistance were at the forefront of every agenda. As you can probably tell, that is a mighty workload for one committee. These are also some of the most pressing issues our commonwealth faces and consume a giant chunk of our state budget. To put it into perspective, consider for a moment that more than a third of Kentuckians are now receiving Medicaid benefits, and Medicaid alone accounts for $4.4 billion of our general fund dollars over the two fiscal years covered in the current budget.

To provide greater oversight and allow for deeper, more productive conversations, we separated the two policy areas into two committees: The Health Services Committee and the Family and Children Committee. We also transitioned the work of two statutory committees, Child Welfare Oversight and Medicaid Oversight, into the appropriate standing committees. To be frank, this change is aimed at helping our efforts to increase focus on these two critical areas in order to ensure we are doing all we can to help those who need it, while making smart decisions when it comes to setting policy.

The Health Services Committee will cover topics that include health care and health care delivery; human development; health outcomes; disabled persons; mental health; health, medical, and dental scholarships; public health; local health departments; hotel, restaurants, and trailer park regulations; sanitation plants; sanitation districts; suicide prevention; physicians, osteopaths, and podiatrists; chiropractors; dentists and dental specialists; nurses; pharmacists; embalmers and funeral directors.

The Committee on Families and Children will cover policy and legislation pertaining to child welfare and services aimed at assisting lower income families such as WIC or SNAP regain financial independence.

Due to the nature of the legislature and how we have elected to run things as a body, it is not very often that committees meet jointly during session. However, committees do meet jointly as the need or opportunity arises. Last week, the Health Services Committees of both chambers held a joint meeting to hear testimony from the Cabinet of Health and Family Services on the current metrics for Medicaid in Kentucky.

In Kentucky, roughly 38% of the population is on Medicaid. To break it down further, that means that 1,694,881 out of 4.5 million Kentuckians receive benefits. Recipients include 661,714 are children, 9,170 of whom are in foster care. Again, for perspective consider that slightly less than 692,000 students are enrolled in Kentucky schools.

On the other hand, the need is great. We have a high number of uninsured, while the state leads the nation in the number of cancer cases, as well as in diabetes and addiction. With Medicaid utilization at an all-time high, this comes with a hefty price tag. Approximately $14 billion in federal money flows through our state annually to maintain access to Medicaid funded programs and providers. Considering these statistics alone, the Health Services Committee is incredibly vital to ensuring our most vulnerable populations are taken care of while ensuring the state’s resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible.

As our short break before we resume session continues, I can be reached here at home anytime, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. Feel free to contact me via email at Danny.Bentley@lrc.ky.gov. If you would like more information, please visit the legislature’s website at www.legislature.ky.gov.

Promises Kept: House continues move to eliminate income tax, provides additional funding for veterans’ center

The first week of the 2023 Regular Session is already behind us as members of the Kentucky House of Representatives convened at Noon on Tuesday, January 5 and left Frankfort after a busy, successful four days. We moved full speed ahead into the 157^th Regular Session and accomplished several goals for this year, while laying the groundwork for the legislation we will take up when we return to Frankfort on February 7.

This session is a bit different from those of recent years because we have no massive legislative packages to consider. Over the past several sessions, the legislature has wrestled with budgets, redistricting, and providing resources for Kentuckians during the pandemic while addressing the executive branch’s overreach. This year, we have an opportunity to devote a great deal of attention to other important issues, including juvenile justice reform, growing our workforce, and learning loss caused by the state’s pandemic shutdown.

Of course, the legislature will also take some time to deal with administrative work, particularly since a quarter of the House is brand new, and several legislative committees are under new leadership. It goes without saying there will be a learning curve for all of us.

The first piece of legislation that came across our desks this week was HB 1, the next step in towards eliminating the state’s individual income tax to make our state more competitive and stop penalizing productivity and work. HB 1 lowers the state’s individual income tax to 4% in 2024. The measure comes just days after the tax was lowered to 4.5% on January 1. According to economists, this year’s tax cut is expected to leave approximately $625 million in the pockets of Kentucky taxpayers. Early estimates for the 2024 cut are not yet available but promise to provide additional relief for taxpayers. HB 1 now heads to the Senate for their consideration.

We were also able to take action on HB 2 and HB 11, a legislative package that appropriates $16.6 million in additional state funds towards construction of a veterans nursing home in Bowling Green. This center will provide long term, skilled nursing care to our state’s veterans in the western region of the commonwealth and create approximately 120 good-paying jobs. This is not new money, nor do we have to pull from the state’s reserve account. Instead, it will be reallocated from funds committed to build electric vehicle charging stations that are no longer necessary for that project. Because interest in the electric vehicle industry is growing, several private companies have poured investment dollars into charging stations, making the state’s investment unnecessary. The Senate is expected to take up both of these measures when we reconvene in February.

The last measure we tackled during the first week is aimed at providing additional time to allow companies that specialize in providing human resource services to work with the executive branch to ensure the changes are correctly implemented. This legislation, filed in the House as HB 1 and the Senate as SB 10, will delay the implementation of a new regulatory structure for Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). PEOs are full-service outsourcing firms that provide human resource functions. In Kentucky alone, there are 60 PEO firms that serve more than 1,500 Kentucky employers and cover roughly 30,000 worksite employees. HB 506 gave PEOs a deadline of January 10, 2023. However, the state and PEO groups have been unable to reach a consensus on how to put the new structure into place without causing an increase in unemployment insurance and other employment costs. This legislation should give them the time they need and an opportunity to report back to the legislature if changes are necessary. The measure passed by large margins in both chambers, and now awaits the governor’s signature.