Happy new year! We started our legislative session on January 2 as required by the Kentucky Constitution, Section 36. For not passing any bills, the schedule seemed hectic the first week.
The first day of session would seem easy, since we have no pending business. But it was actually crazy, because all bills from all summer get dumped on your desk, and each one has to be signed in 4 places minimum to file. With no business and few visitors, we were getting out of the official session in 30 minutes or less every day. That meant not much time to look at things and sign, so it all had to transfer to my office to sort into piles. Meanwhile, our other time was filled with ethics, harassment training, an antisemitism report, and many similar requirements or updates to get us into gear.
One of the most discussed bills I have filed is SB 37, which requires public servants to have training on open records requests. We require ethics, harassment, and all sorts of things but not how to do the job of fulfilling people’s right to public records. It is very important that the right to obtain records be complimented by a public servant who knows what to do when such a request comes in. Most of the Attorney General’s job in solving these issues is telling agencies they need to pay attention and do their job, but this process takes months rather than days to fulfil records. Ultimately, that is a disservice.
SB 39 has been labeled “maybe the most important” bill yet this year by one commentator. Current law prohibits lobbyists from handing us checks for our campaigns. But lobbyists can write checks to our caucus or other groups for the purpose of handing us checks for our campaigns, if it is on the day after or day before the legislative session (Jan 2-April 15 this year). SB 39 would stop these checks ANY time of year, since there is literally no deterrent to corruption by adjusting which date the checks are written.
On Jan. 5, I introduced my series of election bills, and on Jan. 8, the criminal justice bills were filed. But I have spent the lion’s share of time on the senate floor in the past 2 weeks rounding up a majority vote’s worth of signatures to co-sponsor my bill from last year to prevent requirements of smartphones, computers, or credit cards for interacting with government services and offices. It does not yet have a number because that happens after I turn all the signatures in to the clerk. It is the exact same as last year’s SB 258, which passed the senate unanimously and generated a lot more support than I realized it would. I have actually filed it three years in a row, and I think people are now realizing it is a reality that we need to consider and not futuristic hyperbole.
One of the most popular statements I have heard is that we want to guarantee use of cash. So this week I intend to finish the bill described above and move on to a broader cash-focused bill, which will be an expansion of the cash bill I filed last year, SB 257. Another exciting landmark legislation hopefully taking off this week is getting drivers license locations in every county. I will report more on that once I have the final details ironed out.
On a final note, I have had a few constituents visit, but not very many yet. I have a couple of students scheduled this week, and I always welcome either students or adults to come see Frankfort in action for yourself. I will make time for tours, behind-the scenes shadowing, or whatever you would like to experience. In fact, if we want to make a special day for each county, we can host it like that too. Any and all ideas and input welcome!