Kentucky lawmakers are expected to propose more than 1,000 bills this year, and several wasted no time by filing legislation on the first day of the 60-day session.
On Tuesday, Republicans filed bills to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in Kentucky public schools and have the state honor the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, while Democrats, who hold a small minority in the statehouse, filed a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage.
High priority bills are still to come, including the legislation for the next two-year state budget.
On the Republican side, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, of Smithfield, filed a bill to prevent Kentucky public schools from having any kind of DEI program, or risk legal action from the Kentucky attorney general’s office. Among its several provisions, Senate Bill 26 prohibits schools using resources to keep DEI offices, having DEI training or employees whose role is related to advancing DEI. Tichenor gained 11 Republican co-sponsors on Tuesday.
Tichenor previously presented the proposal in committee during the interim, arguing that it would “eliminate the wasteful, ineffective and divisive DEI initiatives” in K-12 schools.
Sen. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, filed Senate Bill 31 to designate Oct. 14 of each year as “Charlie Kirk Day” in honor of the right-wing activist who was assassinated at Utah Valley University in September. Kirk’s birthday is Oct. 14.
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, which aimed to mobilize conservative youth and young adults on high school and college campuses. He often visited campuses around the country to discuss contemporary hard-right topics, including anti-LGBTQ positions and encouraging young women to retreat from careers and return to the home. Kirk also hosted a daily radio show and podcast.
Rawlings’ bill says Kentuckians would be encouraged to use the day to “reflect on the principles he championed, participate in educational events promoting civic engagement, and honor his legacy as a martyr for truth and liberty.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Whip Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, of Louisville filed a resolution to honor Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who was killed along with her husband, Mark, in June, as well as a resolution to condemn all acts of political violence.
Lexington Sen. Reggie Thomas, the Democrats’ caucus chair, said in a Tuesday morning press conference he would file a bill, Senate Bill 16, on the first day of the legislative session to increase Kentucky’s minimum wage from the federal rate of $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour. The legislation would also include the state eventually moving toward a $15 an hour minimum wage in 2030.
Thomas said 30 states, including five states neighboring Kentucky, have a higher minimum wage than the federal rate.
“We don’t have to be tied to the federal minimum wage,” Thomas said. “Thirty other states have acknowledged that. Why should we be different? There’s no reason why Kentucky should be at the bottom in terms of saying what our workers should be paying.”
Senate Democratic Floor Leader Gerald Neal, of Louisville, added that Thomas’ bill would be a “primary position of the caucus” and Senate Democrats would try to sway their Republican counterparts on supporting the measure. Senate Democrats are beginning this session with six members to the Republicans’ 32.
Temporary chambers
Tuesday was the first time the Senate and House convened in temporary quarters near the Capitol Annex while the Capitol undergoes a multi-year renovation.
Rules in both chambers were updated to reflect that neither the House or Senate will have in-person galleries for members of the public to watch legislative proceedings.
In the Senate, Republican Floor Leader Max Wise, of Campbellsville, gave a summary of the Senate rules changes, including removing references to the gallery in the chamber, as the temporary chamber has no seats for members of the public to view proceedings in-person, and limiting guests who may come to the Senate floor to lawmakers, their immediate family members, staff and reporters. The Senate approved its rules in a voice vote without any senators objecting to the changes.
However, two House Democrats expressed concern about shortening the daily business order of motions, petitions and communications for lawmakers from 30 minutes to 15, but the rules were still adopted. Republican House Floor Leader Rep. Steven Rudy, of Paducah, said the limitation was because lawmakers could not have floor guests to introduce this year. Much of the House changes were similar to the Senate rules.
More to come
In other matters, the House must review impeachment petitions it received last year, including a petition filed by Louisville attorney and GOP official Jack Richardson against Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine.
House Speaker David Osborne told reporters lawmakers are still talking about forming a committee to handle citizen petitions the House received.
On the petition to impeach Goodwine, Stivers said he’s told Senate Republicans to “say nothing about it” while it’s still in the House’s purview.
“We should wait for the House to come up with some type of dispositive action, because we will be the jury, the trier of facts, so we should not in any way weigh in to express an opinion one way or another,” Stivers continued. “That would be, from my perspective, totally inappropriate and improper.”
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has made a push for the state funding universal pre-K ahead of session, but it must clear the GOP-controlled legislature.
Stivers told reporters that it is a “flawed concept.” Republicans do agree that access to child care is an issue that should be addressed, but not through universal pre-K.
This story was originally published by the Kentucky Lantern and republished here with permission.