Legislative update: Sen. Higdon offers update on interim committee action
By JIMMY HIGDON
14th District State Senator
Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 — Two months of the 2021 Interim are now in the books following the conclusion of July Interim meetings. The Kentucky General Assembly remains focused on pressing issues preparing for our return for the 2022 Regular Session next January.
Recent focus has turned back to increasing rates of COVID-19 cases. Most notably, the “delta variant.” The state’s positivity rate has risen to over 10 percent. Fifty-two percent of the state has been vaccinated as of the submission of this legislative update. I encourage you to remain cautious and to choose to take the necessary measures to protect yourself and those you love. I applaud local school districts for deciding to return to school with a mask recommendation.
Recent legislative committee meetings included the Interim Joint (IJC) Committees on Transportation, in which I serve as a co-chair, the IJC on Education, in which I serve as a member, and several others, such as the IJCs on Appropriations and Revenue, State Government, and Local Government.
In a recent meeting of the IJC on Transportation, we heard testimony from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) detailing the challenges of meeting state infrastructure needs. There are currently $ 2 billion in maintenance needs. The problem is the continuing inflation of maintenance costs along with decreasing road fund revenues.
The General Assembly has taken measures to prioritize the precious taxpayer dollars we have, restoring $180 million to the road fund that has historically been diverted. There is also a program called Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow, also referred to as SHIFT, that was initiated during the previous gubernatorial administration. It’s a data-driven approach taken by KYTC to make the most out of the use of road fund dollars. The State Senate has passed a bill in the past that would make SHIFT a statutory requirement that KYTC must utilize, but it did not clear the other legislative chamber.
As a side note, the Division of Driver Licensing will host a booth (Exhibit: B-622) at the upcoming Kentucky State Fair. Popup Units will be available each day on a walk-up basis from 2 to 6 p.m. for licensing issuance and renewal. For your information, you can now renew your Kentucky driver’s license online at drive.ky.gov. The State Fair begins on Thursday, Aug. 19, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 29. It is held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. I encourage you to visit the state fair. It is an enjoyable experience.
Continuing with a legislative update, state revenues and fiscal responsibility is essential to meeting needs. That is especially true amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the billions of taxpayer dollars being allocated to aid in the nation’s recovery.
On July 7, the IJC on Appropriations and Revenue (A&R) included a visit from the state budget director, who provided an update on federal funding received in response to the pandemic. Most have heard of federal stimulus packages such as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. In total, however, there were seven separate bills passed by congress that allocated funds to Kentucky. Some of those precious taxpayer dollars are now flowing through various state agencies after being prioritized by the Kentucky General Assembly. During the previous legislative session, lawmakers allocated about half of the Commonwealth’s recent stimulus funds. There is just over $1 billion more left to be distributed. We intend to remain as diligent in appropriating the rest of the funds as we were before.
The General Assembly made notable investments with the first half of federal funding allocations. Funds were appropriated to grow the state “rainy day fund” to over $1 billion, expand broadband internet, pay off most of the $800 million federal unemployment insurance (UI) loan, address water and wastewater needs, and much more.
An entire legislative update could be dedicated to an A&R committee meeting alone. I encourage you to find archived footage of the meeting for more details. That is available at ket.org/legislature/archives.
Education is another topic that could take up an entire legislative update. The July IJC on Education meeting focused on curriculum concerns and included the perspectives of the state’s Education Commissioner and Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent. With ongoing decisions about what the upcoming school year may look like for students, I recommend you follow the discussions that occur during IJC meetings and find archived footage using the website mentioned earlier.
In the IJC on Local Government meeting, lawmakers were joined by members of law enforcement for updates on the challenges they face. Committee testimony from guests called for attention to the staggering shortage of police officers. Our state and nation have endured a difficult past 18 months. Tensions have been high, as bad actors in our streets have led to an increase in serious crimes. Meanwhile, our law enforcement personnel have recently endured excessive levels of criticism and even calls to defund departments.
No doubt there are bad apples in every group. The statement has been said several times but, it is accurate enough and is worth repeating. Nobody dislikes a bad cop more than a good cop, and most of our cops are good. Consider the past legislative session’s bipartisan efforts in passing Senate Bill 80, making it easier to remove bad cops from our streets and strengthen law enforcement integrity. This bill had the support of law enforcement organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police and others. Our law enforcement officers deserve our support.
The IJC on State Government lawmakers were presented Census data and how it will impact the biennial redistricting requirement. According to data provided, Casey and Marion Counties lost less than 3 percent of their population, Nelson and Jefferson Counties gained between 3 to 9 percent, and Spencer County’s population increased over 9 percent.
The emphasis during this meeting was on Judicial redistricting, which has not been done in Kentucky since the 1890s. Supreme Court of Kentucky Chief Justice, John Minton, noted that at that time, Kentucky had just its first governor and the President of the United States was Grover Cleveland. Judicial redistricting is overdue, and redistricting efforts will assure Circuit and District Court Judges will be distributed to areas of need.
Other information gathered during IJC meetings includes an update on unemployment insurance (UI). The Governor’s administration has chosen to scrap its last 16-month effort to update the state’s unemployment system and restart bidding for a business to modernize it. Members of the legislature want to see relief for the thousands who continue to struggle to receive their UI claims. That is why the General Assembly allocated nearly $50 million to the executive branch for those upgrades. The Governor and his administration must consult with the legislature. During a recent budget review subcommittee meeting, several lawmakers requested input from the administration on how we can help make the process easier for the labor cabinet. We want to be a partner in solving this issue. We have stood willing to assist since the onset of the pandemic and are requesting to be engaged more.
Stay tuned for further legislative updates in the weeks ahead. We are working diligently to address the state’s most pressing issues, and lawmakers have already pre-filed several bills to address various concerns. The interim serves as a period to gather information and vet and debate public policy. You can watch live legislative coverage at ket.org/legislature or on the Legislative Research Commission’s YouTube Channel. You can keep up with legislation and committees by visiting legislature.ky.gov.
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 home, (270) 692-6945 or email Jimmy.Higdon@LRC.ky.gov. Stay safe. God bless.
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