I was thrilled to have Reagan Hayes of Ashland Middle School as my legislative page this week. Reagan was part of the Family Youth Resource Service Center’s (FRYSCKy) page program. I enjoyed having her and her mother Brittany in attendance to experience the legislative process. Hopefully next time Reagan is in town, we can have her Mimi, Wurtland Mayor Donna Hayes, join us!
Late last week, the Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 99, directing state officials to assess taxes on vehicles using valuations from 2021 for the next two years. It also calls on the state Department of Revenue to issue refunds for taxes that have already been paid based on current year assessments. It cleared the Senate with unanimous support.
On Wednesday, Governor Andy Beshear furthered the efforts to provide immediate vehicle property tax relief and proposed a temporary 1% drop in the state sales tax. Under the Governor’s proposal, Kentuckians would see tax relief of approximately $1.2 billion, of which $873 million is directly related to sales tax savings and $340 million is from the reduction in vehicle property taxes.
The vehicle property tax in Kentucky is based on the resale value of a car, and—mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic—resale values drastically increased by 40 percent last year. This problem has garnered so much attention that it prompted the House, Senate, and governor to address the issue. Hopefully, we can act in a timely manner to provide relief to Kentucky taxpayers being affected by this predicament.
Earlier this year, I filed Senate Bill 70 to address the issue, which is greatly affecting Kentucky taxpayers. The bill I filed would cap any increase on the vehicle property tax at 5 percent. It has yet to be heard. Nevertheless, I am pleased to see our state prioritize this pressing issue.
Another joint resolution dealing with the effects of COVID-19 advanced in the Senate this week. SJR 80 proposes that natural immunity against COVID-19 would be equivalent to being vaccinated in the event of any state vaccination mandates. Effectively, it would allow unvaccinated individuals to not abide by a vaccination mandate if a serology test shows enough neutralizing antibodies to counter COVID-19. SJR 80 would not apply to federal mandates or private businesses that might implement their own vaccine requirements. SJR 80 passed the Senate by a vote of 28-6-1.
Bills passed in the Senate this week:
SB 83 bans transgender students in middle and high school from participating in women's athletics. Furthermore, it orders the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) to create regulations requiring members of women's teams to correspond with the gender on their birth certificates. The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 27-8. I voted yes.
SB 98 prohibits closing portions of Capital Avenue in Frankfort, specifically the “Capitol loop” between the Capitol and Capitol Annex. At the behest of the state police, the department of homeland security, and the secret service, the one-way road nestled between the Capitol and Annex were blocked off due to safety concerns. However, the Senate decided to take the measure into its own hands by passing SB 98. I voted yes because the Capitol is the "people's house" and I have never feared for my safety while on the grounds. Being in the public sphere as an elected representative, there is always a risk involved. It passed 24-8.
SB 58 allows the Kentucky Board of Barbering to issue licenses to operate a barbering school, providing sufficient evidence and one teacher with at least 12 months experience in barber school. The measure passed the Senate unanimously.
SB 102 requires local superintendents to report information on school-based mental health service providers in the district to the Kentucky Department of Education. As we all know, COVID-19 has taken a major toll on the mental health of our young people. SB 102 passed with unanimous, bipartisan support.
SB 140 establishes the procedures and requirements for clinical review criteria and clinical practice guidelines used to establish step therapy protocols. It passed 35-0.
Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 60 urges Congress to protect consumers and their financial institutions from harmful and intrusive Internal Revenue Service bank account reporting requirements. SCR 60 was adopted in the Senate 34-0.
The legislature is chugging along, with numerous bills being considered in the chambers and on the floor. For an in-depth review of the bills passed in the Senate and House up to this point, you can view the legislative record online at legislature.ky.gov. There, you can view bill summaries, the legislative calendar, find legislator information, and much more.
If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. To share feedback on an issue, you can email me at Robin.Webb@lrc.ky.gov or call the General Assembly Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 711.