House update: General Assembly sends several bills to governor’s desk

By DAVID FLOYD
50th State Representative

REP. DAVID FLOYD

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 — I’d planned to write about HB 168 known as “the beer bill,” but I’m just too mad to think about it for very long. Here is my opinion on the story behind this bill, which begins with a big political donor who loses her bid to buy a beer wholesaler in Owensboro. She loses in court, too. Goes to her friend, the top man in the House, and asks him to write a bill to help. The bill would strip away that Owensboro business from the new owner, force that same owner to sell another business they’ve run for 40 years. The House won’t be a problem, because that’s where most all of her money goes – but what about the Senate? Answer: hire a Republican lobbying group to push the bill over there. The plan works, the bill goes to the Governor, who signs it.

That’s about the nastiest, most un-American thing I’ve seen in 10 years of serving you, and I hope the whole mess gets thrown out in court.

Now, HB 152 was the first bill to clear both chambers. Called the “AT&T bill,” it would deregulate landline phone service in urban areas across Kentucky primarily served by AT&T, Cincinnati Bell, and Windstream. This bill has been before us for a few years, and it was the subject of intense lobbying every year, mostly against it.

Rural customers would have the option to keep landline service or transition to newer voice technologies. Supporters of the bill are certain that this will lead to more investment in broadband and newer voice technologies by phone utilities.

Opponents of HB 152 felt the bill is the start of deregulation of all landline phone service in Kentucky. They told people that they’d lose the landline they had now; this was just untrue. Others were concerned about the reliability of wireless and other voice technologies, especially in case of an emergency. But our desire to have a strong broadband network for economic development, schools, and other essentials across the state ultimately won out. The vote wasn’t even close: Senate 30 – 3; House 71-25.

HB 40, Expungement of Class D felonies, is stalled again this year in the Senate after passing the House overwhelmingly (84-14).

Today is the last day of the 2015 session prior to the “veto period.” This pause in legislative activity gives the governor time to review all bills he receives and then sign, veto, or ignore them. If he ignores a bill, it becomes law after ten days. We reconvene March 23rd for two days to finalize legislation and consider an override of any issued vetoes.

The snow storms not only wreaked havoc with the legislative calendar, we also had to cancel two “Coffee with Dave” events. This Saturday we should be fine at High Grove Grocery. We start at 9:00, coffee is on me, and I hope to see you there.

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