Week 3 in the Kentucky legislature: A budget proposal, the 'Safer Kentucky Act' and more

FRANKFORT – As snow fell across the commonwealth, legislators at the Kentucky Capitol turned up the heat, debating controversial measures in committees and introducing a key budget proposal that could shape state spending for the next two years.

The Safer Kentucky Act, a key Republican priority, advanced after a contentious hearing, and House Republicans introduced a budget proposal to counter Gov. Andy Beshear's. Meanwhile, senators seemed a bit more focused on fun as the upper chamber unanimously passed a bill expanding the number of riverboats where people can drink.

Here's a breakdown of what happened during the third week of the session. The House and Senate are scheduled to gavel back in at 4 p.m., Monday.

Safer Kentucky Act prompts raucous debate

House Bill 5, the "Safer Kentucky Act," is moving forward to the House floor. But not without significant debate.

The bill, put forward last week by Rep. Jared Bauman and other Louisville-area Republicans, advanced through the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday following a contentious two-hour debate.

Families of Kentuckians killed in violent crimes in recent years spoke in favor of some of the 72-page bill's provisions, including relatives of Madelynn Troutt (a teen killed in a car crash involving someone released from jail due to a payment by a charitable bail organization), Jake Luxemburger (a 10-year-old killed in a car crash involving a man fleeing police) and Caleb Conley (a Kentucky State Police trooper shot and killed in a traffic stop).

Opponents, though, argued the bill would put more people behind bars without focusing on rehabilitative services while also criminalizing poverty (the legislation would allow local governments to ban outdoor camping outside of designated locations) and placing unfair restrictions on charitable bail funds.

HB 5, with 52 co-sponsors, passed through committee on a 13-5 vote. Its next stop is the House floor.

Big money?

"One-time" was the refrain around the Capitol as House Republicans described the budget proposal they introduced last week. House GOP leaders aim to spend about $1.7 billion of the state's estimated $3.7 billion rainy day fund — but that spending will be for one-time only expenses.

Their approach differs from Beshear's proposal rolled out in December, which foregoes dipping into the rainy day fund and instead focuses on amping up education and other spending over the long term. Beshear was critical of the GOP's plan Thursday, calling it regressive and missing key funding components.

GOP House leaders split their budget into two bills: House Bill 1 focused on, aptly enough, one-time expenditures from the rainy day fund, and House Bill 6, focused on recurring expenditures.

How the House budget proposal differs from Beshear's plan:

• Beshear's budget includes increases in the state's per-pupil education funding formula as well as across-the-board 11% pay raises for school employees through an increase in SEEK funding. The GOP version also includes increases in per-pupil education funding but foregoes across-the-board raises in favor of encouraging school districts to use additional funds for raises at the levels they see fit.

• The GOP version increases state funding of school transportation to 90% of costs by fiscal year 2026, the second year of the budget, while Beshear's proposal would fully fund school transportation.

• Beshear's budget proposal includes $172 million each year for universal pre-K, while the GOP version foregoes universal pre-K, which House leaders have said is a non-starter.

Bourbon on boats

The Senate unanimously passed a measure from Sen. Gex Williams, R-Verona, to increase the number of riverboats that can serve bourbon. If Senate Bill 62 passes, riverboats with as few as 40 passengers, rather than boats with 100 passengers, will be eligible to sell alcohol.

The Kentucky locks reopening has allowed smaller boats on the Kentucky River, Williams said, and if the bill passes, riverboats can sell alcohol on bourbon tours up and down the river. Specifically, Frankfort's The Bourbon Belle, owned by Kentucky River Tours, will be able to sell alcohol on board during its river cruises, many of which ferry travelers to local distilleries.

Affordable housing in the spotlight

The lack of affordable housing — and what state and local governments can do about it — is shaping up to be a hot topic in this year's General Assembly.

Republican-controlled committees in both chambers approved bills last week that will limit local governments’ ability to prohibit discrimination against low-income renters relying on Section 8 housing vouchers. Louisville and Lexington leaders pushed back, saying local lawmakers know their communities best and should be able to pass anti-discrimination ordinances unhindered by the state legislature.

Louisville's lack of affordable housing is well documented and plans to improve the city's stock is a key goal of Mayor Craig Greenberg. He's pledged to build 15,000 units during his first term in office.

A separate provision in the Safer Kentucky Act that outlaws camping in public spaces has drawn the ire of advocates for the state's unhoused population.

More from the Capitol

Here's a look at some other notable measures and moments this week in Frankfort:

• House and Senate members spoke out Thursday after viewing footage Wednesday provided by the Israeli government of the attacks by Hamas in Israel last October, with both chambers putting forward resolutions expressing support for Israel.

• Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, filed House Bill 10 Wednesday in an effort to cut into the state's maternal death rate. The legislation, with 17 co-sponsors, would expand insurance access for pregnant people and allow more access to services offered by Kentucky's Health Access Nurturing Development.

• Rep. Nick Wilson, R-Williamsburg, blamed an "inadvertent change" made during the filing process after he put forward a bill that would have struck first cousins from relationships barred by the state's incest law. He later refiled the legislation as House Bill 289, which would add language to Kentucky's law barring sexual intercourse between family members to include “sexual contact."

• And finally, Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Crofton, said it's a good thing he isn't planning to run for another term, as he'll be pretty busy in the near future. He and his wife Amanda are expecting triplets this summer.

Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.com. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky General Assembly's Week 3 sees several key bills take steps