Since House and Senate leaders announced Thursday morning that budget talks had stalled, there have understandably been many questions from the public about what happened – and what is likely to happen next.
If the conflict could be boiled down to a single word, it would be “education.” The House believes that, in an era where there is money to meet our core needs and fully fund contributions to our two main public retirement systems, schools and universities should not be cut.
The silver lining is that there is still time for the General Assembly to reach a compromise. Although legislators are not at the Capitol this week because of the veto recess – a roughly 10-day period in which the governor decides whether to sign bills into law or reject them – a budget could be approved on April 12, the legislative session’s 60th and final day. I am committed to making sure this occurs.
To understand how we reached this point, it helps to go back to late January, when Gov. Bevin presented his two-year budget proposal, the first of his administration.
Although state revenues have grown more than four percent this fiscal year and are poised to rise by a combined $800 million over the next two years, he recommended that a large portion of state government reduce spending by nine percent next year and maintain that level in the budget’s second year. He also called for a corresponding cut for this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
His proposed cuts exempted Medicaid, public-safety measures and per-pupil funding for students in elementary and secondary school. However, these cuts would have an impact on other education spending, including family resource and youth services centers, textbook purchases and professional development.
With all the attention to budget negotiations, work continues on the House floor, with a number of bills being passed that are now on their way to the governor’s office for his signature.
On Tuesday, the House gave final passage to legislation that would allow child day cares to receive prescriptions for EpiPen while also giving parents more time to legally surrender their newborn under the state’s safe harbor law.
House Bill 148 was expanded by the Senate to include safe harbor provisions, while also retaining the bill’s original provisions to allow day cares to receive prescriptions for EpiPen, an epinephrine auto-injector used to treat life-threatening allergies, for emergency situations.
The “safe harbor” provisions of House Bill 148 would amend Kentucky’s Safe Infants Act by giving parents up to 30 days instead of the current three to legally give up their newborn at a state-approved safe place if the parent feels they cannot keep the child. Safe places include fire stations, hospitals, police stations and EMS personnel. Places of worship would be added to the list under House Bill 148, which was passed as amended by the House on a 99-0 vote.
We also gave final passage Tuesday to House Bill 111, a measure which would require the state to waive snow days that school districts are unable to make up. The bill started as a measure to require public schools to post the state’s child abuse hotline number. It was amended to also include snow day provisions.
School districts impacted by snow or other school calendar-altering events are required to work with the state to meet all 1,062 required annual instructional hours, if at all possible, by June 5. If the district attempts to meet all required hours and cannot, the state would be obligated under House Bill 111 to waive any hours that remain.
Also, after years of debate, the House gave final approval Friday to legislation that would provide a second chance to those who have been charged with certain non-violent felonies. House Bill 40 would allow eligible offenders to request a court to vacate and expunge their criminal records after completing their sentences and waiting five years.
The legislation would not apply to felons convicted of violent crimes or sexual offenses. Additionally, the bill includes provisions that would allow prosecutors to respond on behalf of crime victims and for a judge to make the final decision on expungement. The bill — endorsed by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Council of Churches and the Catholic Conference of Kentucky — would ease barriers for those seeking to re-enter the workforce.
I’ll have more to report in my last and final update from this 2016 session of the Kentucky General Assembly after we recess for a period of several days before returning to give final approval to several other legislative measures on April 12.
During that time, the House Majority members of the budget conference committee will continue to work toward an agreement with their Senate colleagues to adopt our next two-year spending plan. If a budget agreement is not achieved before we are required by law to adjourn, I would not support returning to a special session, and spending additional taxpayer money, until an agreement on a final budget was reached prior to our return.
Throughout this session, I have greatly appreciated the emails and phone calls I have received from my constituents in the 70th District. I will continue to represent the people of Bracken, Fleming, Mason and Robertson counties to the very best of my ability and look forward to hearing from you soon.
If you would like to reach me, my address is Room 329E, Capitol Annex, 702 Capitol Avenue, Frankfort, KY 40601; or you can email me at Mike.Denham@lrc.ky.gov.
To leave a message for me or for any legislator by phone, please call 800-372-7181. For those with a hearing impairment, the number is 800-896-0305.
State Rep. Mike Denham is a Democrat from Maysville and has represented House District 70 (Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties) since 2001.