Higdon: Education, pensions, public health top issues of 2020 legislative session

By JIMMY HIGDON
14th District State Senator

Friday, April 24, 2020 — The Kentucky General Assembly ended the 2020 Regular Session on April 15 under an entirely different set of circumstances and realities that could not have been foreseen at the start. Despite the impact of the pandemic on our state’s economy and all-around way of life, I am proud of the stability of the legislative branch and our staff to fulfill the duties laid out in the Constitution of Kentucky.

For this final legislative update of the session, I want to reflect on some of the achievements of the Kentucky General Assembly, and then I want to provide you some insight on what the legislature will be doing in the weeks and months ahead during what is called the Interim Session.

First, however, I want to address the students and teachers in our district. Local school districts have managed the past few weeks impressively, and the best part for me to see is how students and teachers have remained connected despite having to be apart.

To our high school seniors who have worked so incredibly hard throughout their K-12 education, please accept my warmest wishes. It pains me to know you will not be able to experience the traditional graduation that you so richly deserve. You nevertheless have much that you should be proud of. I hope that you use this experience to have an even greater appreciation for the many memories you have created and look forward to the many more you will enjoy in your next endeavor. Your future beyond these trying times is bright, and the world will be brighter for all the great things you will accomplish.

The past five weeks have challenged each one of us in ways we never imagined. The recent session was no exception. The focal point of the session was the crafting of the state budget.

The final product was determined to be a one-year budget rather than the traditional two-year budget. This is unprecedented but was essential. COVID-19 has resulted in our state and national economy coming to a screeching halt after running on all cylinders.

With businesses closed and commerce stalled, Kentucky revenues are going to take a big hit. Nobody knows for certain how much revenues will be impacted, but thanks to the brilliant staff and those who serve on the Consensus Forecasting Group, we have a benchmark for what pessimistic revenues may be. That allowed us to budget for one year and assure the continued operation of vital state programs.

The General Assembly will be able to return next January with a better understanding of the state’s economic standing. The one-year budget itself reflects what were clearly the priorities of the General Assembly. Those are Kentucky’s children, the public health, first responders and military personnel, pensions, our moral and legal obligations, and more.

We passed several key pieces of legislation this session, and one was the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 8, also known as School Safety 2.0. The first school safety bill passed in 2019 and was signed into law by our then-Republican governor. SB 8 was signed into law by our new Democratic governor. I think this shows the bipartisan nature of this legislation. The protection of our students is not a single party issue. Despite all our disagreements on various policies, I am happy this is a measure we continue to work together on and improve. SB 8 furthers on the efforts of the 2018 bill by standardizing conditions and training that will better secure safety in our schools through personnel such as school resource officers and counselors. It also builds on structural and safety protocols within our schools and works to create a culture of connections with students who are facing potential traumas, and mental health issues. Furthermore, SB 8 sets standards of accountability for compliance with the law.

Issues related to education were important to me during the session. I was happy to see the governor sign SB 63 into law which is going to allow those who have dropped out of high school to have a path to obtain their diploma through virtual education. This bill passed the Senate prior to the escalation of COVID-19. Our entire state and society will benefit from our fellow citizens completing high school. Our economic recovery from the pandemic will lean heavily on the Kentucky workforce, which I hope SB 63 will assist with.

Further efforts were made that show Kentucky’s commitment to our military heroes. One was SB 149, a bill I introduced and that was sent to the governor in the final days of the session. The bill will provide relief to veterans centers’ staffing issues by allowing the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs to use personal service contracts to hire much-needed nurse aides. Our veterans deserve to be taken care of. They have sacrificed so much for our nation. On a related note, a bill passed this session to provide funding for a veteran’s center in Bowling Green which will benefit Kentucky veterans by opening more opportunities for care for those in need.

I am blessed to be alongside my incredible counterparts in the Kentucky House of Representatives. They are Rep. Chad McCoy, Rep. James Allen Tipton, Rep. Brandon Reed, Rep. Kevin Bratcher, and Rep. Daniel Elliot. They each achieved great accomplishments during this session and were significant in the passage of legislation that is going to move Kentucky forward. I want to thank them for their friendship, and I look forward to continuing to work with them. Similarly, I get to collaborate with some incredible local officials across the 14th Senate District. To all elected officials, I thank you for communicating with me as we work together to meet the needs of our constituents.

I want to restate my appreciation to Ms. Taylora Schlosser, superintendent of Marion County Public Schools. Ms. Schlosser was fundamental in the passage of a bill that strives to provide resources to Kentucky students who may be in need during a moment of crisis. SB 42 requires that hotline phone numbers for suicide prevention, domestic abuse, and sexual assault be placed on existing student IDs in the Commonwealth. I applaud Ms. Schlosser for her dedication and commitment to this most important of issues in memory of her daughter, Taylor Rae.

On the forefront of the minds of those in the General, even before the spread of COVID-19, was the health and well being of Kentuckians. To close the session, we passed SB 150 and other legislation that provided relief during the pandemic, but even before the world changed, the legislature was focusing on the health of Kentuckians. Key legislation was passed to protect Kentucky’s most vulnerable, young and old. Bills passed that protect senior citizens in assisted living facilities from abuse by ensuring those convicted of abuse are not in contact with them. For our youth in the foster care system, the legislature and governor agreed on a measure that will require a fingerprint background check for those employees who will work most closely with these children.

I was proud to see the final passage of SB 60, a bill that will provide newborns with screenings for spinal muscular atrophy. A family in our district brought this to my attention. Thanks to their son Eli and their dedication, newborns with this disease will be able to be treated and not be affected by it.

I hope that by seeing examples of bills like SB 60 and SB 42, you will understand how important it is to communicate with your elected officials. We are here to represent you, your values and hear your concerns. I am incredibly proud to represent you in the Senate. Hearing your thoughts and concerns allows me to better do so. I appreciated hearing from many of you throughout the 2020 Regular Session, and I want to continue to hear from you into the interim session.

Starting on June 1st, the General Assembly officially enters the interim session. During this time, we will hold interim committee meetings to study issues and consider potential legislation for the 2021 legislative session. There will be no better time to bring issues important to you to our attention. Most legislation results from citizens of the Commonwealth sharing their stories and concerns with their delegation in the General Assembly. I ask that you do not take your role in the legislative process for granted. It is vital, and your feedback can better our entire Commonwealth.

Unfortunately, all the complexities of a session cannot be wrapped up in a single update. I appreciate our local news websites and radio broadcasters for always allowing me to share updates with you throughout the session. They are essential in keeping you informed on legislative matters and of course on updates regarding COVID-19. Please continue to place your trust in your radio broadcast stations, as well as local news websites like The Nelson County Gazette. You will find no better source of information.

I pray we will return to a somewhat normal way of life soon. The change to our daily lives since the spread of COVID-19 has been difficult on us to varying degrees. Our medical professionals remain on the front-lines and are sacrificing time away from their families. First-responders continue to work to ensure our safety. We owe these professionals the sincerest of gratitude. Citizens’ health and safety are their top priorities, as they should be for us all.

We also should not lose sight of the side effects that COVID-19 is having on Kentucky, such as the impact on our economy. Prior to the spread, Kentucky and the nation were enjoying one of the strongest economies we have ever had. Nobody could have imagined the economic impact COVID-19 would have. At this very moment, there are genuine concerns held by small business owners and affected employees. I was pleased to hear the governor’s latest updates that reflect plans to begin reopening our economy, starting with some much-needed areas within healthcare. We have been in this together from the beginning, and we will remain in this together as we continue our efforts to mitigate the spread while balancing the need for Kentucky to return to work.

I remind you to be patient as the state deals with high volumes of unemployment claims. Folks in those offices are working overtime to meet unprecedented levels of needs. Continue to utilize the resources available that I have shared with you in the past and tune in to the updates that the Governor and President provide daily.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to keeping you updated throughout the interim session. Reach out to me any time I can be of assistance at (270) 692-6945. God bless each of you. Stay safe and follow those CDC guidelines.

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