By Mark Hansel
NkyTribune managing editor
The budget is expected to be a hot topic during the upcoming session of the Kentucky Legislature and votes on meaningful issues could be delayed until after special elections in March.
Those were a few of the takeaways from the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s monthly Eggs “N Issues event at the Madison Events Center in Covington Tuesday.
Marc A. Wilson of Top Shelf Lobby, Mark Guilfoyle with DBL Law Office and Amy Wickliffe of McCarthy Strategic Solutions, were the panelists that provided insights and fielded questions from the early-morning crowd.
The discussion was moderated by Patrick Crowley of Covington-based Strategic Advisers.
It remains to be seen how the election of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in November after eight years with Democrat Steve Beshear at the helm will impact the next budget.
Guilfoyle said any legislative session is all about the budget.
“It’s really the opportunity for a governor to set forth his or her priorities,” Guilfoyle said. “The governor will present a proposed budget on January 26 and it will be taken up by the House, they will pass their version, (it will) go over to the Senate and hopefully the two sides agree.”
Wickliffe said it is a fascinating time to be in Frankfort because of the change in power in the Governor’s office.
“We are also watching a very interesting dynamic in the house as both parties struggle, one to maintain the power that we have today and one to maintain that power,” Wickliffe said.
The loss of four Democratic House members since Bevin’s election, coupled with speculation this weekend that more were preparing to leave the caucus, raised questions about the party’s ability to maintain a majority.
Democrats, however, continue to maintain their 50-46 majority in the House. There will be a special election March 8 to fill four vacant House seats.
The Republican Party is firmly in control of the Senate with a 27 to 11 margin.
Guilfoyle said Bevin, who sets the date for the general election, may have erred by scheduling them in March.
“The longer you give the Democrats time to get their footing, to absorb the loss of the governor’s race, and to deal with people who want to defect, they have more time to get ready to contest these elections,” Guilfoyle said.
Wilson said that the special election will also likely delay votes on controversial issues.
“It used to be said that nothing will happen in a long session until after the filing deadline…which is January 27, because nobody really wants to file a bill that someone can use against them in a general election setting or a primary setting,” Wilson said. “Now, it’s like the session will start March 9. I think there will be some legislation that is not controversial that will pass before then, but I think anything that is going to take a lot of effort is not going to move until after the special election.”
The panelists agreed that the future is bright for Northern Kentucky, in terms of getting additional support from Frankfort.
Bevin has appointed two Northern Kentuckians to key positions in his administration. Brett Gaspard of Walton was named executive director of Boards and Commissions and Adam Meier of Fort Thomas was chosen as deputy chief of staff for policy.
“There is no substitute for working in the governor’s office,” Guilfoyle said. “We have a Northern Kentuckian right there dealing with the governor on a regular basis on “Who am I going to appoint to the various boards and commissions?” (and) that’s a big deal.”
Wilson said that, while he doesn’t think the region will get special treatment from Bevin because of its support of him in the election,
The topic for the next Eggs ‘N Issues, which takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 16, will be Mindfulness in the Workplace. Keith Lawrence, president of Sustaining Solutions, will be the featured speaker.
For more information on this and other Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce events, click here .
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com