2014 Bill Tracker | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

2014 Bill Tracker

KFTC's Priority Legislation
KFTC Supports

The Kentucky Forward Plan

House Bill 220
Status

HB 220 was introduced on January 16 by Rep. Jim Wayne. It was assigned to House Appropriations and Revenue Committee but did not receive a hearing.

There was an informational hearing on February 11 about the governor's tax proposal, with Lt. Gov. Jerry Abransom the only presenter. No additional hearings on tax reform took place.

The legislature did include in its revenue and budget bills some new tax breaks for corporations, resulting in about $30 million in lost revenue.

KFTC Supports

Clean Energy Opportunity Act

House Bill 195
Status

House Bill 195 has been assigned to the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. A committee hearing took place on March 6 though no vote was taken.

KFTC Supports

Restoration of Voting Rights Amendment

House Bill 70
Senate Bill 15
Status

Senate Bill 15 was assigned to the Senate State and Local Government Committee and did not receive consideration.

House Bill 70 passed the House on January 16 with an 82-12 vote. Earlier in the week it was approved by the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on 1/14. On February 19, HB 70 was radically amended and passed by the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and then approved by the full Senate, 34-4. The amended bill added several new restrictions and a waiting period, and greatly reduced the number of former felons who would have their rights automatically restored. (see how they voted HERE)

On March 5, the House rejected the Senate's version of HB 70. The Senate then had the opportunity to recede or not recede from its amendments but Senate leaders never allowed a vote.

On April 15, the House changed Senate Bill 58 (an unrelated constitutional amendment that had previously passed the Senate) to the language of HB 70, with the addition of a maximum three-year waiting period to be set by the General Assembly. The re-written SB 58 passed the House 85-13 but was not called by Senate leaders for a final vote.

KFTC Supports

Stream Saver Bill

House Bill 288
Status

HB 288 was assigned to the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. No hearing was allowed.

Other Bills
KFTC Supports

Eminent Domain

House Bill 31
Senate Bill 14
Status

SB 14 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee and did not receive a hearing.

On February 26, the House Judiciary Committee approved a committee substitute for House Bill 31 that clarifyies that natural gas liquids pipelines do not have eminent domain under existing statutes. On March 21, the bill passed the full House 75-16 (see how they voted HERE) with an amendment to help the oil and gas industry. HB 31 was never assigned to a committee in the Senate.

Several attempts by Sen. Jimmy Higdon to attach the language of SB 14 or HB 31 to other bills in the Senate were thwarted by Senate leaders. A proposed floor amendment by Rep. David Floyd with the language of SB 14 did not get a vote in the House.

KFTC Supports

Abolition of the Death Penalty

House Bill 330
Senate Bill 77
Status

SB 77 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

HB 330 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

Minimum wage

House Bill 1
Senate Bill 215
Status

HB 1 was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee on January 30, and by the full House on February 6 with a 54-44 vote (see how House members voted). It went to the Senate Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee after being reassigned from the Senate State and Local Government Committee (where SB 215 had been assigned). Neither bill received a hearing.

Minimum wage increase language was added as a House floor amendment to SB 99, but that bill was never called.

KFTC Supports

Minimum wage for tipped workers

House Bill 191
Senate Bill 215
Status

HB 191 was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee on January 30, and by the full House on February 6, with a 57-40 vote. In the Senate it was assigned to the Senate State and Local Government Committee but did not receive a hearing.

See how House members voted.

KFTC Supports

Fairness

House Bill 171
Senate Bill 140
Status

HB 171 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. SB 140 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

There was a short hearing but no discussion on HB 171 in the House Judiciary Committee on March 5 – the first time there has been a committee hearing in the 15 years this bill has been introduced. You can read the Lexington Herald Leader's story about that HERE. Neither bill received a vote.

KFTC Supports

Net metering

House Bill 535
Status

HB 535 was assigned to the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

Juvenile justice

Senate Bill 200
Status

SB 200 passed the Senate 31-7 on March 20. It was fast-tracked in the House and passed 84-15 on March 27. Because of a House amendment, the Senate voted again in April 14 and approved SB 200 with the House change, 30-8. The bill is now before the governor.

KFTC Supports

Voting Rights Act

Status

SCR 153 was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

Protection from utility shutoffs

House Bill 485
Status

HB 485 was assigned to the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

Local energy efficiency project

House Bill 404
Status

HB 404 was approved by the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee on March 20, and by the full House 64-32 on March 25. It received one reading in the Senate even though it was never assigned to a committee and did not pass.

KFTC Supports

Economic development transparency

House Bill 17
Status

HB 17 passed the House 96-0 on January 22 and the Senate 38-0 on April 15. It is now before the governor for his signature or veto.

KFTC Supports

Safe coal ash disposal

House Bill 241
Status

HB 241 was assigned to the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

HCR 17 – Reverse Citizens United

Status

HCR 17 was reported favorably by the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on February 4. It was placed in the House Orders of the Day on February 12 but was never called for a vote by House leaders.

KFTC Supports

Tax credit for Ohio River bridge toll

House Bill 41
Status

HB 41 was assigned to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee. It did not receive a committee hearing.

KFTC Supports

Public financing for judicial elections

House Bill 72
Senate Bill 222
Status

HB 72 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and did not receive a hearing.

SB 222 was assigned to the Senate State and Local Government Committee and did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Supports

Protections for abused animals

House Bill 30
Status

HB 30 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Opposes

Local Sales Tax Option

House Bill 399
Senate Bill 135
Status

HB 399 passed from the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on March 11 by a 6-3 vote. Previously there was a discussion-only hearing in the House Economic Development Committee on February 27, and a discussion-only hearing 0n the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee on March 6. HB 399 died on the House floor after seven floor amendments were filed, including one to allow casino gambling and another to require 51% of funds received from a local sales tax to be used on projects in designated areas of elevated poverty.

SB 135 was assigned to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Opposes

Voter Identification

Senate Bill 10
Status

SB 10 was asigned to the Senate State and Local Government Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Opposes

Carbon dioxide emissions

House Bill 388
Status

HB 388 passed the House with a 99-0 vote on February 26. On March 12 it was approved by the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee and by the full Senate, 37-0, on March 19. HB 388 has been signed into law by the governor.

KFTC Opposes

Right to work

House Bill 496
Status

A hearing took place on March 13 and the bill failed to pass the House Labor & Industry Committee by a vote of 4-14.

KFTC Opposes

Lift the nuclear energy ban

House Bill 52
Senate Bill 67
Status

HB 52 was assigned to the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee. HB 52 twice was taken from the committee, given its first and second readings on the House floor, and then returned to the committee. No further action was taken.

SB 67 was approved by the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee on January 29, and by the full Senate on February 4 with a 29-6-1 vote (see how senators voted). It was assigned to the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee. It also was taken from committee, given two readings, returned to the committee and no further action was taken.

The wording from these bills was adopted as part of a committee substitute the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee added to House Bill 483, an unrelated economic development bill. HB 483 with the amendment passed the Senate 38-0 on March 25. However, the House never voted on whether or not to accept the Senate changes, so the entire bill died (however, the House added the language of HB 483 to SB 74, a bill about emergency response personnel, and sent that bill back to the Senate. After a heated debate that pitted pro-coal senators against pro-nuclear energy senators, the Senate accepted the House changes by a 21-17 vote).

KFTC Opposes

Unmined minerals tax

House Bill 380
Status

HB 380 was assigned to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee. It did not receive a hearing.

KFTC Opposes

Big telecom deregulation

Senate Bill 99
Status

SB 99 was put on the fact track by Senate leaders. It was approved by the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee on January 30 with only one No vote, and later that afternoon by the full Senate, 34-4. Earlier in the week it had been twice taken from committee to give it two of the required three readings on the Senate floor. In the House, SB 99 was approved by the Economic Development Committee on March 13. On the House floor six floor amendments were filed, some to address concerns about the bill, as well as one by Rep. Stumbo to raise the minimum wage that the Senate had killed. SB 99 was never called for a vote in the House.

SB 99 sponsor Sen. Paul Hornback attached the language of the AT&T bill to House Bill 2, sponsored by Rep. Stumbo to set up a scholarship program in counties where coal is produced. In the last hours before adjournment on April 15, Sen. Hornback agreed to withdraw this amendment in order to let the scholarship bill pass.

See how senators voted

KFTC Opposes

Administrative regulations

Senate Bill 1
Status

SB 1 passed the Senate 24-14 on February 6. It went to the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee and did not move from there.

See how senators voted.