by Representative Michael Lee Meredith:
The first full week of February saw several key pieces of legislation deliberated in committee and on the House Floor. At the same time, members of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee and budget review subcommittees continue to work on the House version of the state budget. The budget must reflect our commitment to spend taxpayer money wisely, lay the groundwork for a solid financial future, and provide necessary services. We are working now to keep that commitment. While the budget is a work in progress, we continue to send legislation from our committees to the full House, and from the full House to the Senate for consideration. I joined fellow legislators in voting for legislation aimed at protecting line-of-duty death benefits for surviving spouses. The measure, HB 271, preserves the death benefits of a widow or widower if he or she chooses to get remarried. Current law mandates that if a surviving spouse remarries, the death benefit they receive is reduced to 25 percent. Under the proposed legislation, the surviving spouse will receive 75 percent of the deceased spouse’s retirement if they choose to remarry. It is estimated that this legislation will only affect 14 people today, but it sends a strong message that we stand by the folks who serve and protect us. Members of the House Judiciary Committee approved HB 327, which would automatically expunge the criminal records of anyone who was acquitted or had criminal charges dismissed. Those eligible for expungement under the bill would be able to request that the acquittal or dismissal not remain on their record, while individuals with past acquittals and dismissals would be allowed to petition the court for expungement at no cost to them. It seems to make sense that someone who was not found guilty of a crime should not have that crime on their criminal record. This week we also passed a resolution urging Congress to allow Kentucky and other states to permanently adopt daylight savings time, or DST. Several other states have already approved legislation to make DST permanent, including Florida, Washington, and Tennessee. Whether or not a change is made is ultimately up to the federal government which sets the dates for daylight saving time—also referred to as “daylight time.” Those changes must be approved by Congress, which is where HCR 53 sponsors hope the legislation will shed some light. Before I finish, I would like to share some information about the General Assembly's Legislative Page Program. This is a great educational opportunity to experience democracy in action by serving a day on the House Floor during the session. They work on the floor, delivering messages, running errands, and copying materials. Page supervisors oversee the program, ensuring that pages are safe and behaving appropriately. Children must be ten and older, and a parent or guardian must also be present. We all enjoy having the children in the chamber and, frankly, they serve as a fitting reminder that the work we do will impact our state for generations. As you can see, we are off to a busy start. If you have any questions or comments about this session, I can be reached during the week from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (EST) through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at Michael.Meredith@lrc.ky.gov. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at legislature.ky.gov.
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by Senator Steve Meredith:
Before going to Frankfort on Monday to begin week five of the 2020 Legislative Session, I had the pleasure of joining my colleague in the House, Representative Samara Heavrin, in providing a legislative update to various county elected officials. They included Leitchfield Mayor Rick Embry, City Councilman Clayton Miller, And Caneyville City Council members, Debbie Embry and Mike Geary. We had a great discussion, and I want to thank county Judge-Executive Kevin Henderson for hosting us. It was a busy but productive fifth week of the 2020 Regular Session as we passed a wide array of bills through the Senate and continued biennial budget discussions. As we wait to receive a budget proposal from the House of Representatives, where all spending bills must originate, the Senate the Appropriations & Revenue Committee has already begun an intensive review process of the budget proposed by the Governor. Crafting the Commonwealth’s two-year financial plan is a lengthy process. Still, I am confident that the final product will be fiscally responsible while ensuring sufficient funding for our critical programs. I will keep you updated on the status of the budget in the coming weeks. The Senate Majority made notable progress on the 2020 legislative agenda, successfully passing 11 bills over the week, including Senate Bill (SB) 1 and SB 7. Also known as the Federal Immigration Cooperation Act of 2020, SB 1 ensures the cooperation of state and local governments with the federal government in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The bill will create no additional responsibilities for law enforcement or agencies, but it does require no less be done than what federal statutory law states. SB 1 preemptively prohibits local municipalities from enacting sanctuary immigration policies. There had already been discussions in one of Kentucky’s major cities to adopt such policies. That would be irresponsible and dangerous. While many can agree that federal immigration law needs to be addressed by Congress, current laws should be enforced to ensure the safety of the public, and provide law enforcement with the assurance that they can enforce laws in good faith. SB 7, priority legislation relating to School-Based Decision-Making Councils, returns the appointment of the school principal to the Superintendent after consultation with the school council and equalizes council membership of teachers and parents. I am pleased to report that an essential piece of legislation, SB 30, in which I am the primary sponsor, finally got a Committee hearing on Wednesday. SB 30 has been a priority of mine for three years. The bill would limit the number of managed care organizations our state can contract with to administer the Medicaid program. Presently there are five which create a bureaucratic nightmare for healthcare providers, especially in rural communities and unnecessarily drive up the cost of care. Limiting it to 3 will reduce healthcare costs for providers and, eventually, the patient. My bill passed out of committee and will now go the Senate for a floor vote. Several bills with bipartisan support passed through the Senate this week. SB 63 is a measure that would allow high school dropouts who are at least 21 years of age to complete their graduation requirements through online programs. SB 45 requires licensed child-care centers to have standards on nutrition and physical activity. SB 45 also incorporates state and national expertise in developing new standards regarding screen time and sugary drinks. Also passing in the Senate this week was SB 102, legislation to remove unnecessary red tape in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services by repealing 48 outdated and obsolete statutes. SB 87, an act to remove the automatic transfer of a child from a district court to the circuit court to be tried as an adult in cases involving the use of firearms, was approved. SB 40, legislation that would provide additional protections for Kentucky’s vulnerable children by requiring fingerprint background checks for employees of child protection and child welfare agencies were approved. SB 60, a measure to add SMA to the list of heritable conditions tested at birth, was passed. This screening would be provided at no additional cost to the family or the Kentucky taxpayer. Finally, SB 42 would require issued student identification badges to contain emergency hotline numbers for domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide prevention. Suicide rates among young people is a real epidemic. I encourage you to have honest conversations with the young people in your life and let them know they are loved. Tragic stories arise far too often of someone who has taken their life out of depression or perceived hopelessness. Life is precious, and we should take the time to let others know their life is precious to us. I had one such precious young person join me in the Senate Chamber on Thursday as my Senate page, Ms. Maggie Cox, an eighth-grader from Grayson County Middle School. Maggie is a wonderful young lady whose future is nothing but bright. I was blessed to share time with such a gifted and talented young person who has a dream and vision for her future. Thank you, Maggie, for spending part of your day with me. I invite other ambitious young people like Maggie to join me as a page in Frankfort. It’s a unique and fulfilling experience. If you know a student who would enjoy a day in Frankfort learning about state government and the legislative process, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at Stephen.Meredith@LRC.ky.gov. I invite you to reach out to me on any other matter of importance to you as well. Don’t forget; you can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.legislature.ky.gov. 20th Title In School History Edmonson Voice Staff Report: It's now back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back championships for ECMS after winning one more Quick Recall competition at the KAAC Governor’s Cup Region 5 Tournament, which was held at South Warren Middle School on Saturday, February 1st, 2020. In quick recall, the team took on Butler County in the first round of action, where EC easily defeated the Bears 40 - 12. The second round saw the game of the day for the entire tournament where ECMS faced off against South Warren Middle School. The Wildcats led 22 - 14 at the half; however, the Spartans started the 2nd half on a 15 - 6 run to take a 29 - 28 lead. The game was back-and-forth the rest of the way but Edmonson County powered through with a hard fought 36 - 34 win. After a bye in round 3, the Wildcats then faced Bowling Green Junior High School. The game began with teams trading points for a while but EC took advantage of their depth and experience as they put together a run larger than the Purples could overcome as the Wildcats took the 39 - 17 win. The finals were then a showdown finale between Edmonson County and South Warren. Although both teams had secured a spot in the state tournament by making it to the finals each was ready to fight for the title of quick recall region champions. While the game began with SWMS taking an early 10-5 lead, they missed a bonus question. ECMS stole the bonus and went on a 12-0 to end the half that gave the Wildcats a 17 - 10 lead at halftime. The second half was all Wildcats as Edmonson County outscored SWMS 18 - 7 and won the championship 35 - 17. It is the 20th overall Quick Recall Region Championship for Edmonson County Middle School. The quick recall team will now try and defend their 2019 State Championship title. The members of the regional championship quick recall team are Evy Bolton, Brycen Daniels, Emma Sackett, Lyla Wood, Brayden Johsnon, Ian Dooley, Ace Daugherty, Ashton Johnson, Emberlei Stevens, Lola Bolton, and Kennedy Webb. The coaches for the team are Nick Skaggs, Alan Florence, and Keela Skaggs. Edmonson County also earned seven awards in written assessment. Brayden Johnson won 3rd place in language arts written assessment. Evy Bolton won 1st in language arts and 2nd in science. Brycen Daniels won 1st in science and 4th in arts & humanities. Emma Sackett won 2nd in language arts and 3rd in arts & humanities. Each of these individuals will compete in their respective written assessment competitions at the State Finals in Louisville.
With the success of quick recall and written assessment, the academic team captured 2nd place overall in the Governor’s Cup Region 5 Tournament, only one point behind overall champions, South Warren Middle School. “This was a great day for the academic team,” said Coach Nick Skaggs. “The team is playing its best at the right part of the season. As a coach, you want your team to peak at tournament time and that is what our team is doing this year,” Coach Skaggs continued. The team is scheduled to compete in the state tournament on March 14th - 16th in Louisville. Edmonson Voice Staff Report: South Edmonson Elementary hosted a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) day for 1st graders last week. Students participated in stations that included Warren Rural Electric Cooperative (WRECC), ECHS Science Club, and help from students from the 5/6 Center. SEES Guidance Counselor Shannon Lowe said that first grade students learned about conserving electricity, conducted science experiments, built structures, learned about engineering, and participated in high school science displays.
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