'A very slippery slope': Lawmakers approve bill to block source-of-income discrimination bans

FRANKFORT —The Kentucky legislature on Tuesday gave final approval to a measure that could pit local governments’ housing anti-discrimination ordinances against state law.

House Bill 18, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, would block local governments from adopting ordinances that prohibit landlord discrimination against renters who use federal housing assistance, including Section 8 vouchers. The bill would also prohibit the enforcement of such local ordinances.

Louisville enacted an ordinance banning source-of-income discrimination in housing in 2020, and Lexington’s city council adopted a similar measure earlier this month.

After gaining final approval in the House by a 75-20 party-line vote, HB 18 now moves to Gov. Andy Beshear's desk for consideration. Beshear’s office did not immediately respond to a question about whether he planned to veto the bill.

The bill prompted heated criticism from legislative Democrats, who said that the measure would open the door for discrimination against vulnerable people who need housing.

Democrats also said the bill undermines democracy by overriding the decisions of elected local officials.

The bill "should alarm all of us who have spoken in favor of local control in recent years," Rep. Josie Raymond, D-Louisville, said during a debate on the bill last month.

"We are at the top of a very slippery slope when it comes to the legislature … coming in behind duly elected local officials and nullifying the legislation that they have enacted," Raymond said.

But Republican lawmakers defended the bill, saying it would protect landlords’ property rights.

"This is not a local control issue," Dotson told reporters in January. "This is a property rights issue. … I've been a proponent of local control from the very beginning, but at the same time this (anti-discrimination ordinances) infringes on individual property rights."

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has criticized the bill. During a press conference earlier this month, he said the measure would make it more difficult for people to access affordable housing.

"Blocking recently enacted local protections to prevent discrimination in housing will make it harder for many Louisvillians to build a better life for their families," Greenberg said in a statement provided by his office. "It is frustrating that the General Assembly has approved HB 18."

The final version of HB 18 included elements from a similar Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris.

The final version includes a provision that prohibits local governments and other emergency service providers from demanding payment for emergency calls made in response to actions by someone “over which the owner has no control,” such as a tenant.

Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @RebGrapevine.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky legislature passes HB 18 prohibiting source-of-income bans