Legislative update: General Assembly kicks off 2021 interim committee meetings
By JIMMY HIGDON
14th District State Senator
Saturday, June 5, 2021 — The Commonwealth of Kentucky celebrated its 229th birthday on Tuesday, June 1. It also marked the first official day of the 2021 Interim of the Kentucky General Assembly.
The interim serves as a period for lawmakers to receive updates on implemented legislation, stay informed on various issues facing the Commonwealth, and prepare for the 2022 Regular Session, which begins next January. Here in Kentucky, we are considered a “part-time legislature,” but work for my colleagues and me is year-round.
Committee meetings held during week 1 of the Interim Period included the Interim Joint Committee (IJC) on Education, on which I serve as a member; transportation, on which I serve as co-chairman; Appropriations and Revenue, as well as various budget review subcommittees.
COVID-19, its various impacts, and state and legislative responses to it over the last year and a half continue to demand state government’s attention. Of most importance, in my view, is how students and Kentucky’s youth have been affected during the pandemic.
During Monday’s meeting of the IJC on Education, representatives from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and local school districts reported student participation, engagement, and intervention concerns during the pandemic. KDE data indicated some of the results of the reliance on virtual learning as schools were closed to in-person learning. Twenty-nine counties were randomly selected, as were two days and class periods, to get a snapshot of student participation. The results indicated that over 11 percent of students across elementary, middle, and high schools were not participating in online classes. A couple of things are clear from the testimonies given at the education committee meeting: In-person face-to-face learning is most beneficial for students, and information on learning gaps is expected to become available around September and October as assessment scores are reported.
REAL ID UPDATE. Presiding over a meeting of the IJC on Transportation, we welcomed Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray and other representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) for an update on the implementation of REAL ID. It also included an update on the expansion of regional offices and transportation-related Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. If you recall, I provided information related to REAL ID and regional offices in a recent column published on the Nelson County Gazette website. I encourage you to review that column for details.
KYTC updated the committee on regional offices’ absorption of circuit court clerks’ licensing responsibilities. About ten counties continue to transition to regional offices each month, and all 120 counties’ licensing responsibilities will make the transition by June 30, 2022. KYTC is trying to make the transition as smooth and convenient as possible by offering the renewal of licensing (with no substantive changes like name or address) online and bringing mobile/pop-up licensing offices directly into counties during the year once the transition is complete. This was one of several topics I had questions about.
KYTC reported that ten regional offices would receive a mobile unit responsible for deploying to surrounding counties throughout the year in partnership with local elected officials. I asked for an update on the online license renewal website, and we learned that the site should be up and operational within the next couple of weeks. One big concern I had and expressed to KYTC is the struggle some people have with accessing and using the internet. During the pandemic, the cabinet has allowed a renewal of licensing by mail. KYTC reports that the option will end in July at the local Circuit Court Clerks’ offices. I encouraged KYTC to rethink its position on this and maintain a mail-in renewal option in the future. They indicated this is something that they will keep in mind. Additionally, the cabinet reported that the benefits of the CARES Act funding include maintaining public transportation, which helps get people to work and expand projects to improve the state’s infrastructure.
During the meeting on Appropriations and Revenue (A&R), State Budget Director John Hicks and the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA) provided an update on broadband deployment. Through House bills 320 and 382, the Kentucky General Assembly established a program framework. Lawmakers allocated $250 million to expand internet access to unserved residents and underserved areas of our state and an additional $50 million for securing economic development opportunities for commercial and industrial customers. It was reported that Stage 1 of the project is expected to be released this month or next. Stage 1 includes KIA releasing a notice of intent to apply and determine the eligible unserved areas map. To help map the last mile of broadband deployment, an internet speed test website has been established. You are encouraged to visit educationcabinet.ky.gov/Initiatives/Pages/KBI.aspx, where you can take the speed test to help the state better determine the areas most in need of internet access or improvement.
Additionally, the A&R Committee received a visit from Sunrise Children’s Services. This organization has cared for children since 1869. It has contracted with the state since the 1970s, helping care for thousands of Kentucky kids in need. It is a faith-based organization that the state had long respected the religious convictions of, until recently when the contract language was changed unexpectedly. The language change is not compatible with the language that has allowed Sunrise to partner with the state for a half-century, spanning multiple administrations, both Republican and Democratic. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is attempting to require Sunrise to comply with a federal rule repealed in 2019. Five of the state’s constitutional officers have sided with Sunrise. They call for the administration to renew the contract and respect Sunrise’s First Amendment rights and the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Failure to continue the precedent of partnership puts children at risk unnecessarily. In the fiscal years 2020 and 2021 alone, Sunrise has served 1,636 Kentucky children and has assisted in finding loving homes for 588 of them.
For more information on legislative meetings held during week 1 of the interim, visit legislature.ky.gov. You can find archived footage of meetings as well as live meeting broadcasts at ket.org/legislature or by visiting the Legislative Research Commission’s YouTube channel.
STEPHEN FOSTER STORY. In closing, I want to make you aware of ‘The Stephen Foster Story,’ the official outdoor musical of Kentucky that can only be seen in Bardstown. It is a fun experience. Opening night, which will include fireworks, is scheduled for July 3. I will go into more detail about this musical in an upcoming Fourth of July column carried here on the Nelson County Gazette. Tickets are available now at stephenfoster.com. Make sure you check it out.
If you have any questions or comments about public policy issues, please call my office toll-free at 502-564-8100 or the legislative message line1-800-372-7181. You can also reach me at (270) 692-6945 (home) or email Jimmy.Higdon@LRC.ky.gov. Stay safe. God bless.
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