Legislative Update With Rep. Michael Meredith

Legislators Hit The Ground Running In First Two Weeks Of Session

 by Representative Michael Lee Meredith:
Since adjourning the 2021 Regular Session, interim committees met, heard testimony, gathered information, and focused on how to use the knowledge and data gained to craft thoughtful, intentional policies to help address the challenges our state faces.
 
Because we did our homework, we are ready for this legislative session. When we gaveled in on January 4, we hit the ground running because we were well-prepared for the task. We acted on bills that redraw the state’s legislative, congressional, and supreme court districts. Redistricting is required by the United States and Kentucky constitutions to better represent trends in population after each census. The final product must meet constitutional and legal considerations, while ensuring that each person has equal representation.
 
Not one House district remains unchanged, but there were only minor adjustments to our district. The new 19th district will continue to contain all of Edmonson County and portions of northern and eastern Warren County.
 
Redistricting consumed a great deal of our time during the first week, but it is far from the only issue that received our attention. On Friday, we made the historic move of filing a House budget proposal before the Governor’s budget address. The Kentucky Constitution is clear that the budget must begin in the House of Representatives. However, lawmakers have traditionally waited weeks and used the Governor’s budget as a starting place. By filing our own proposal, we have an opportunity to start the process sooner and consider the Governor’s recommendations and work with our colleagues in the Senate. I am pleased that it shows a commitment to meeting our state’s needs without spending every dollar available to us, giving us the opportunity to look at moving forward on reforming our tax code to attract businesses and lower the tax burden on our citizens. Highlights include record funding for education, a continued commitment to the state’s budget reserve trust fund, and resources to provide pay increases for the Kentucky State Police, state employees, social workers, and educators. To be honest, I am impressed with the investments it makes as well as the restraint it showed with money that belongs to you as a taxpayer.
 
K-12 Education Funding

• Increases the Base SEEK guarantee to a record high dollar amount of $4,100 in the first fiscal year and $4,200 in the second fiscal year. Every dollar SEEK is increased translates into an additional investment of $800,000 in public school districts.
• Doubles state funding for full-day kindergarten in both fiscal years to cover the entire cost
• Increases funding to eligible Family Resource and Youth Services Centers (FRYSCS) from approximately $184 to $220, totaling $12 million additional in each year
• Fully funds the state portion of health insurance for retired teachers under the age of 65

Post-secondary Education

• Provides $50 million additional in each year to the performance-based funding model available to the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, and Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges.
• Funds a new health care workforce initiative at $20 million in each year of the budget
• Provides a total of $350 million in each year of the budget to create asset preservation funds at each public post-secondary institution and KCTCS to maintain buildings and facilities. Funds will be available to these institutions based on the square footage of facilities model established in the performance-based model.
  
• Provides an additional $42 million in each year for anticipated growth in each year for the College Access Program (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant Program, and Work Ready Scholarship Program

Health and Family Services

• Provides necessary funding to implement the Public Health Transformation Act (HB 129/2020) to ensure public health departments are financially able to continue serving communities
• Raises the salary and institutes a retention payment for social workers totaling approximately $25.6 million additional funding in the first year and a $61.7 million increase in the second year
• Funds 100 additional social worker positions in each year of the budget for a total of 200 and provides a method of tracking the implementation of increased staffing
• Raises the reimbursement rate of 1915c (Michelle P, Home and Community Based Services) waiver services by 10% in each year of the budget

Justice

• Provides a $15,000 pay increase to Kentucky State Police (KSP) Troopers and Motor Vehicle Inspectors
• Provides an $8,000 pay increase to telecommunicators
• Allocates $28.5 million for a training center at the Department of Criminal Justice Training at Eastern Kentucky University
• Increases the county jail per diem by $4 to $35.34

Transportation/Infrastructure

• Provides $200 million for the required state match for the federal infrastructure package
• Includes $50 million in each year for a special grant to help local governments with road maintenance
• Replaces over $180 million in allocations formerly charged to the road fund with general fund dollars and moves that amount to the Maintenance Account

General Government

• Provides a 6% raise for public employees in the FY 22-23 and requires the Secretary of Personnel to develop a plan to revise the classification and compensation for funding in the second year
• Allocates $350 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding towards clean water and wastewater projects to be allocated to each county by population
• Returns the unemployment insurance fund to pre-pandemic levels by allocating $312 million in ARPA funds
• Funds the operation of the Bowling Green Veterans Nursing Home

Pensions

• Fully funds the actuarial required contribution for the Kentucky Retirement System at $1.2 billion per year
  
• Fully funds the actuarial required contribution for the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System at an estimated $1.067 billion in the first year and $1.084 billion in the second year. ($629 million in the first year and $646 million more in the second year)
  
• Provides $215 million to the Kentucky State Police Retirement Fund to reduce the employer contribution rate from 141% to 100%.
  

We also filed legislation during our first week, HB 5, aimed at addressing some of the needs generated by the deadly storms that destroyed so many homes and businesses in Kentucky. We acted swiftly on this and another measure during our second week to help those impacted by the December tornadoes in Kentucky. Not a single vote was cast against HB 5, which creates a fund and allocates $200 million towards education services, temporary housing, the rebuilding of public buildings, and the reimbursement of costs incurred by local governments and utilities for their response. While some of this funding may be reimbursed to the state through FEMA or insurance, these communities need access to resources immediately. This is the first step in what will no doubt be a long march towards rebuilding these communities. We also voted unanimously to approve HJR 29, which extends only the executive orders necessary to recovery and rebuilding efforts in the region.

In addition to our legislative work, I was also extremely pleased to see the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) halt the Biden administration’s attempt to mandate privately owned businesses require employees vaccinate. I appreciate the Court’s consideration of this issue. We should continue talking about how to best provide the tools that individuals, businesses, churches, and other organizations need to address Covid just like all challenges they face. 

As always, I can be reached here at home anytime, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. Feel free to contact me via email at [email protected]. If you would like more information, please visit the LRC website www.legislature.ky.gov.