Legislative Week in Review
By State Representative Steven Rudy
FRANKFORT - The first week of the 2010 General Assembly began with the fall of the Speaker's gavel at noon on Tuesday, January 5, and the regular session is already taking shape.
In the first week alone, more than 200 bills were filed for consideration, and countless others have been requested to be drafted. Over the course of the next 60 days, the General Assembly’s committees will meet to debate the merits of these measures and hear testimony from bill sponsors, industry representatives, and constituents with interest in specific topics.
This session will certainly be a challenge as the legislature is charged with the task of passing a balanced budget in spite of the $100 million shortfall the Governor has plugged with 3- percent spending cuts, fund transfers, and $25 million of the $250-$300 million in federal stimulus dollars available to the Commonwealth next fiscal year. Unfortunately, we still have a projected shortfall of $1.5 billion in the General Fund for fiscal years 2011 and 2012.
Each round of shortfalls and cuts has been painful, requiring sacrifices from most state agencies. Very few areas—including base public school funding, known as SEEK; Medicaid; higher education; certain public safety and mental health services—have escaped cuts. Public schools will have their non-SEEK funds cut by 3 percent this fiscal year under the latest reduction, but the cuts will be offset by 2009 legislation that ensures excess SEEK funds will be returned to school districts.
I am pleased our school districts will get some relief under the new SEEK offset, but I am ever mindful that most state programs have not been so lucky. Many agencies have lost more than one-fifth of their revenue since budget reductions have recently become an annual or semi-annual ritual.
Some committees held hearings this week, including the House Judiciary Committee on which I serve. We passed House Bill 1, known as Amanda Ross Domestic Violence Prevention Act, in memory of domestic violence victim Amanda Ross who was murdered in Lexington last fall. HB 1 would allow Kentucky courts to use GPS monitoring in some domestic violence cases and for pretrial release. HB 1 now goes to the full House for its consideration.
Right now, it is difficult to predict what will happen this session. Much work needs to be done in the areas of education, Medicaid, health and human services, water and sewer needs, and many other areas. The most we as lawmakers can do this budget session is work together to provide the best quality and quantity of services we can for the common good. If we resolve to do this, our state will be better off over the next two years than we ever thought possible.
As the session continues, I will update you on our progress. In the meantime, I can be reached here, at home, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. A taped message containing information on legislative committee meeting schedules is available by calling 1-800-633-9650. If you have internet access, you can e-mail me at: steven.rudy@lrc.ky.gov or keep track through the Kentucky Legislature home Page: http://www.lrc.ky.gov.
