Last Call for the Governor to Act
We still remain within the scheduled veto period, which officially ends on March 28th. Governor Beshear has up to ten days from the date bills arrived on his desk (excluding Sundays) to sign or veto bills, which means some bills must be signed or vetoed before the 28th depending on when they were sent to the Governor.
Contact the Governor to VETO bills: Email Link, or call 502-564-2611
KCC Updated List with full description of House Bills to date here
KCC Updated List with full description of Senate Bills to date here
Bills from KCC’s list not yet signed as of 3/28 AM: (Your last chance to weigh in)
We will be doing a running update of this list for the next several days as the Governor acts- check back daily
Senate Bill 62: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Monitor). Prohibits a public agency from requiring an individual or nonprofit organization to compel the release of personal information…exemption for disclosures, reports, or investigations pursuant to Legislative or Executive Ethics, except that such information shall only be used in connection with the specific disclosures, reports, or investigations.
Bills from KCC’s list already signed:
House Bill 130: (Signed 3/17) Related to conservation districts. KCC monitored.
House Bill 160: (Signed 3/21) Water quality bill related to mixing zones. KCC monitored.
House Bill 191: (Signed 3/24) Requires an election for a vacant seat at Metro Council rather than Metro Council members voting to fill the vacant seat. KCC opposed.
House Bill 222: (Signed 3/23). Extended the levy of the hazardous waste management assessment. KCC supported.
House Bill 236: (Delivered to the Governor on 3/13). The attack on “environment/social/governance” criteria for investments.
House Bill 302: (Signed 3/23) Related to elections. KCC opposed.
House Bill 303: (Signed 3/23) Economic development bill that, among many other things, gives a tax incentive to the development of hydrogen transmission pipelines. KCC monitored.
House Bill 534: (Signed 3/20) Relating to public notices. KCC monitored.
Senate Bill 28: (Signed 3/23). Relating to small farm wineries. KCC supported.
Senate Bill 99: (Signed 3/24). Disaster funding. Directs government agency head, cabinet secretary, or appointed official to provide a report and analysis of all relief funds created to accept and spend funds received from any source to provide assistance to entities impacted by an emergency. KCC supported.
Senate Bill 144: (Signed 3/17) Supporting Civil War sites and Underground Railroad sites. KCC supported.
Senate Bill 192: (Signed 3/23) Relating to securitization to refinance debt from retired power plants. KCC monitored.
Senate Bill 213: (Signed 3/20) Relating to the land application of biosolids. KCC monitored.
House Joint Resolution 37 : (Signed 3/24). Directs the Energy and Environment Cabinet to adopt revisions to the state air quality implementation plan to remove the reformulated gas requirement for Jefferson County and applicable parts of Oldham and Bullitt Counties. KCC monitored.
House Joint Resolution 76: (Signed 3/23). Releasing allocated funding for state parks. KCC supported.
Senate Joint Resolution 79: (Signed 3/17) Calling for the formation of the Nuclear Energy Development Working Group. KCC monitored. Will be a member of the working group.
Bills from KCC’s list now VETOED:
Senate Bill 226: (Delivered to Governor on 3/14- Strong Oppose). Lowers to the threshold to allow permittees to discharge pollutants into outstanding state resource waters and does not fully account for the impacts to in stream water quality. Governor’s veto message here. Ask “Leadership not to override the Governor’s Veto.” Message line: 1-800-372-7181.
Senate Bill 150: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Strong Oppose). Bill that interferes with children and teachers in the education system, particularly in areas related to gender identity and parent notification. We oppose based on the intrusion into the education system. Governor’s veto message here. Ask “Leadership not to override the Governor’s Veto.” Message line: 1-800-372-7181.
Senate Bill 7: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Oppose). This bill would prohibit deduction from a public employee’s wages, earnings, or compensation by a public employer for "political activities" and prohibit a public employer assisting a labor organization, person, or other legal entity in the collection of dues, fees, assessments, payments, or other charges from employees. Governor’s veto message here. Ask “Leadership not to override the Governor’s Veto.” Message line: 1-800-372-7181.
House Bill 4: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Needed more improvements) Large-Scale Solar and Land Use Bill - Memorializes the requirements for siting, bonding, remediation of merchant electric generating facilities (including large merchant solar farms). We had advocated that the bill needed more improvements, and while some attempts were made to improve in some areas, the bill is still lacking in enough landowner protections that provide an even playing field between developers and landowners. Governor’s veto message here.
House Joint Resolution 69: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Monitor). Directs the Governor to certify to the Environmental Protection Agency that the Kentucky Board of Radon Safety has legal and administrative authority to enter into a grant with the EPA. Governor’s veto message here.
Senate Bill 241: . Supports the Cumberland Forest initiative, however the bill also had some provisions relating to Fish & Wildlife that we had concerns with and would have preferred to see those separated from this bill. Despite this, we supported in order to address the Cumberland project. Governor’s veto message here.
Bills Filed “without the Governor’s Signature”
Senate Bill 4: (Delivered to Governor on 3/16- Strong Oppose). Impedes the retirement of fossil fuel plants. The decision to retire the fossil fuel-fired electric generating unit cannot be the result of any financial incentives offered by a federal agency. This bill was filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
House Bill 264: (Became law without the Governor’s Signature 3/29) “Regulatory Sandbox” bill to create an office that identifies state laws and regulations that could be waived for certain "innovative" businesses for a one-year period, including environmental regulations. KCC Strong oppose.