KCC Week 8 Recap: General Assembly 2026
Watch for additional bills- This is the latest list as of 4PM on 2/27
Read our full lists and make your calls—Particularly on our “Strong Support” and “Strong Oppose” bills!
Lobby Days - Keep Making Those Calls!
This Friday we completed week 8 of the 60-day session. Monday (March 2nd) will be the last day for filing new Senate bills. Wednesday (March 4) will be the last day for filing new House bills. While lawmakers were largely focused on the budget this week, we expect that there will still be many amendments and changes to come. Follow the bill links above for our full summaries of bills, including amendments and other changes. Please call the legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181 (Monday-Friday 7AM-6PM) to express your views on these bills. You may also email your legislators if the phone lines are closed.
We want to thank everyone who turned out for the “Leave the Heat on Collaborative” lobby day this past week. Collaborative nonprofits met with several lawmakers in an effort to finally build some momentum to move House Bill 377 (S. Witten), a KCC “Strong Support” bill to protect citizens from utility disconnections during extreme weather, along with related bill SB88 (C. Armstrong). We need you to continue to make calls to the House Natural Resources Committee in support of House Bill 377.
New Bill Highlights
House Bill 723 (KCC Strong Support) was just introduced this week by Republican Representative Mitch Whitaker of Letcher County. It would very simply provide a funding stream to the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund through theexisting sales tax on outdoor sporting goods. KCC has been bringing up the concept of the sporting goods tax for some time as several states have used this model for conservation and outdoor recreation programs. We recently met with Rep. Whitaker and reminded him of the need for this important funding, so we appreciate his efforts with this bill.
ACT: contact your representative and ask them to support HB 723. You can call the legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181. Please let them know you are a constituent that cares about land conservation.
Other New bills— OPPOSE!! We were disappointed to see a bill filed this week by Senator West, Senate Bill 250, that was a model bill from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The bill attempts to re-define “clean energy” to include fossil fuels, as well as change what constitutes “least cost” for energy among its many provisions.
ACT: and Contact your Senator and members of Senate Natural Resources ask them to “oppose Senate Bill 250.” You can call the legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181. Be sure to let them know that you are a constituent from their district.
Bills to STOP!- Continue Your Calls
Spread the word - ask your friends to call to STOP Senate Bill 178:
The environmental community turned out in force this week to challenge Senate Bill 178 (Strong Oppose). Our thanks to all of you who took fast action with your calls and emails on this bill that puts the risk of environmental harm on the public, rather than the entities creating that harm. We were able to bring in Erin Haynes, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health to testify on the many problems with this legislation as written. She was joined by Kentucky Waterways Alliance policy director (and KCC board member) Nick Hart as well as KRC’s Audrey Ernstberger who also testified on the impacts of this bill. See their testimony at the links above!
OPPOSE Senate Bill 57- Nuclear Bill up for a vote in the full Senate for Monday, March 2:
A KCC “Strong Oppose” bill —Senate Bill 57 (Carroll) is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Orders of the Day for Monday, March 2. The bill would then go to the House. Please call immediately to “all Senators” to oppose this bill. While some amendments were added that included some slight improvements, it was not enough of an improvement to change our position. We are particularly concerned with the expense of the grant program, changing the funding available from $25,000,000 total to $25,000,000 per grant. The changes to this bill also add a confidentiality provision making any information, data, or records provided in the grant application confidential and exempt from disclosure.
Other Bills on the move:
Data Center Legislation Advances:
Two bills were filed this session to attempt to regulate data centers so that customers would not subsidize the impact of utility costs. House Bill 593 is the first of these bills to pass out of committee. The House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee heard from Rep. Josh Bray, primary sponsor on the bill on Thursday. Bray testified how he’s spent the last two years on the Artificial Intelligence Task Force learning about the utility needs of data centers.
If a tech company wants to bring a data center to Kentucky, HB593 would require the company to either (1) choose to provide its own electric generation and donate any excess back to the local utility, (2) enter into a power purchase agreement, or (3) purchase their electricity on the national open market. The bill would also require a minimum, nonrefundable $75,000 application fee to help deter speculative proposals and cover costs to study capacity and transmission requirements. However the bill was recently amended, so watch for updates on this bill which will be posted to our House Bill List.
Don’t Miss Public Meetings on Nuclear
We want to remind you again about the upcoming public meetings on nuclear energy. Folks turned out in Morehead on Thursday. Next public meetings are Louisville (March 17), Lexington (March 25), Paducah (April 1), Northern KY (April 6), and Bowling Green (April 8). Visit our nuclear page for resources and background information to help you prepare your comments. And if you plan on going, or need assistance to prepare your comments, please let us know.
Other Nuke News: Kentucky Conservation Committee (KCC) and our friends at the Kentucky Resources Council (KRC) submitted joint comments on the Department of Energy proposal to weaken health and safety protections for workers in the nuclear industry. The proposed regulation changes follow a series of executive orders designed to speed development of experimental reactor technology at the expense of community safety, security, and worker health and safety. Read our comments here.