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KFTC's Bill Tracker

KFTC's legislative issues at a glance

2013 Kentucky General Assembly

KFTC's Priority Legislation
KFTC Supports Tax Reform House Bill 142	Summary House Bill 142 would have made Kentucky's tax system more fair, adequate and sustainable with a broad variety of tax reforms.	Status HB 142 was filed on Feb. 5 and was assigned to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee. No hearing was held and the 2013 General Assembly did not address comprehensive tax reform.
KFTC Supports Clean Energy Opportunity Act House Bill 170	Summary The House Bill 170 would have created a Renewable and Efficiency Portfolio Standard requiring utilities in Kentucky to get an increasing share of their electricity from clean, renewable sources and energy efficiency programs. It also would have established a Feed-in Tariff that sets a guaranteed rate for renewable energy producers. The two policies could have created 28,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.	Status The Clean Energy Opportunity Act was introduced on Feb. 5 by Rep. Mary Lou Marzian. It was assigned to the House Tourism, Development, and Energy Committee. The committee held a "discussion only" hearing on February 28 but took no further action.
KFTC Supports Restoration of Voting Rights Amendment House Bill 70	Summary House Bill 70, the Restoration of Voting Rights Amendment, called for a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to most former felons upon the completion of their sentence.	Status The Restoration of Voting Rights Amendment passed out of the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on Feb. 12 by a vote of 6-1, and passed the full House 75-25 on February 20. However, it died in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. See how the House voted.
KFTC Supports Stream Saver Bill House Bill 86 Senate Bill 29	Summary This legislation would have prohibited the dumping of toxic mine wastes into "an intermittent, perennial, or ephemeral stream or other water of the Commonwealth."	Status The Stream Saver bill has been filed in the House (HB 86) and Senate (SB 29) this year. HB 86 was assigned to the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee but never got a hearing or vote. SB 29 was assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee but never got a hearing or vote.

Other Bills
KFTC Opposes Religious Belief Act House Bill 279	Summary House Bill 279 gives individuals the right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, even if counter to a law. The bill is written so broadly that it could allow for challenges to existing anti-discrimination laws in Kentucky that protect individuals from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.	Status HB 279 passed the House, 82-7, on March 1. The House refused to add language which would have ensured the continued protection of current civil rights laws in Kentucky. The bill made its way quickly through the Senate, with approval by the full Senate, 29-6, on March 7. Govenor Beshear vetoed this bill on March 22, but the House and Senate voted on March 26 to override his veto, 79-15 in the House and 32-6 in the Senate. See how House and Senate members voted.
KFTC Opposes Mine Reclamation Bonding House Bill 424	Summary House Bill 424 is the Energy and Environment Cabinet's bill to make improvements to the bonding program for coal mine reclamation, including setting up a bond pool to cover reclamation costs when forfeited bonds are insufficient (most of the time). However, the bill specifically prohibits the funds to be used to address long-term water pollution discharges, which are common and usually expensive to treat.	Status HB 424 was taken from the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and given two readings on the House floor, even before the bill was heard in committee. HB 424 was not brought up during a March 4 special committee meeting called specifically for that purpose when KFTC was prepared to testify, but was amended the next day at a special meeting and then passed by the full House, 90-1. It went to the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee, received one reading on the Senate floor, but no further action. See how the House voted.
KFTC Opposes Water Quality Exemptions House Bill 165	Summary House Bill 165 exempts landowners from permits and water quality standards for rock quarries on their own land, if the excavated rock is for their own use. It would be an exemption inviting abuse. Learn more from the Kentucky Resources Council testimony on this bill.	Status HB 165 passed the House on February 26, 91-3. It went to the Senate the next day but was never assigned to a committee. See how House members voted.
KFTC Supports Safer coal ash disposal House Bill 223	Summary House Bill 223 would have required stronger safeguards to protect the public from exposure to coal ash, and require emergency action plans for communities where "high hazard" coal ash ponds are located.	Status HB 223 was assigned to the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. A "discussion only" hearing took place on Feb. 28, but there was no further action.
KFTC Supports Payday Lending House Bill 178	Summary House Bill 178 attempeds to limit the abuses of payday lending, including setting an annual cap on interest rates at 36%. Download factsheets from the Kentucky Coalition for Responsible Lending	Status HB 178 was assigned to the House Banking & Insurance Committee. No hearing or vote took place.
KFTC Supports Industrial Hemp House Bill 33 Senate Bill 50	Summary Senate Bill 50 and House Bill 33 set up a regulatory structure by which industrial hemp could be grown in Kentucky, provided a waiver of federal rules is obtained. As amended by the House, SB 50 also sets up a energy-related (bio-mass potential) research project at the Center for Applied Energy Research at the University of Kentucky.	Status HB 50 is the bill that moved. It was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee on Feb. 11 and the full Senate, 31-6, on Feb. 14. It was approved by the Agriculture and Small Business Committee in the House on March 6, but then got bogged down in the House before an 11th hour compromise that gave some control of the growing aspect to the Ky. Dept. of Agriculture and control of the energy-related research to UK, with a role for the state police in doing background checks. Gov. Beshear has indicated he is not yet sure if he will sign or veto the bill. See how the Senate voted.
KFTC Supports Prison Gerrymandering House Bill 29	Summary House Bill 29 would have required that for purposes of the U.S. Census, people in prison be counted as residents of their last known address.	Status HB 29 was assigned to the House State Government Committee. No hearing or vote took place.
KFTC Supports Voluntary Energy Efficiency	Summary HCR 15 would have created an action plan to implement a voluntary 1 percent per year reduction in energy consumption in Kentucky through 2025.	Status HCR 15 was reported favorable by the House Tourism, Development, and Energy Committee on Feb. 14 and passed the House on Feb. 21, 100-0. It was assigned to and died in the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee.
KFTC Supports Fairness bill House Bill 171 Senate Bill 28	Summary Senate Bill 28 and House Bill 171 would have expanded Kentucky's civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.	Status SB 28 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 171 went to the House Judiciary Committee. No hearing or vote took place on either bill.
KFTC Opposes Weakening the Affordable Care Act Senate Bill 40	Summary Senate Bill 40 would have prohibited Kentucky from operating a state-based health benefit exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unless authorized by the General Assembly	Status SB 40 was approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on February 20, and by the full Senate, 22-12-1, on Feb. 22. It went to the Health & Welfare Committee, where it died without a hearing or vote. See how the Senate voted.
KFTC Opposes Weakening the Affordable Care Act Senate Bill 39	Summary Senate Bill 39 would have prohibited Kentucky from participating in the expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unless authorized by the General Assembly.	Status SB 39 was approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on February 20, and by the full Senate, 22-13, on Feb. 22. It went to the House before the Health & Welfare Committee, where it died without a hearing or vote. See how the Senate voted.
KFTC Opposes Rural telephone deregulation Senate Bill 88	Summary Senate Bill 88 would have removed the obligation for telephone companies to provide service to some rural customers, including 911 service.	Status SB 88 passed out of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee on Feb. 11 by a vote of 9-1. It passed the full Senate on Feb. 14 by a 24-13 vote. It got a hearing but no vote on March 7 before the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. It has received two readings on the House floor but was never voted in committee or on the House floor. SB 62 and SB 119 also were not called for a vote on the House floor. See how the Senate voted.
KFTC Supports Abolition of the death penalty House Bill 48	Summary House Bill 48 would have abolished the death penalty in Kentucky and replace it with a sentence of life without parole.	Status HB 48 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. No hearing or vote took place.
KFTC Supports Tax credit for tolls House Bill 129	Summary House Bill 129 would have established a refundable tax credit for bridge tolls for people who commute across the Ohio River for work.	Status HB 129 was assigned to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee. No hearing or vote took place.
KFTC Supports Public Financing for Judicial Elections House Bill 31	Summary House Bill 31 would have established a fund for the public financing of judicial elections. Certified candidates would be limited to raising $5,000 in other campaign contributions.	Status HB 31 was reported favorably by the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 20, and the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Feb. 26. It passed the full House, 48-46, on March 4. In the Senate it was assigned to and died in the Appropriations and Revenue Committee. See how House members voted.