Saving Our Waterways
How to Contact Your Legislators here
Legislative Message Line to comment on bills: 1-800-372-7181, M-F from 7AM-6PM or email here!
The end of this week marks the 20th day of the 30-day session of the General Assembly “short session.” Lawmakers now have eight more working days (including two for Concurrence) before the Governor’s Veto Period, which begins on Saturday, March 15th. After the veto period, lawmakers then come back on March 27 and 28 for their final days of action, including any overrides of the Governor’s vetoes.
Our Waterways are for Everyone-Keep Calling
KCC has now screened over a thousand bills during this very short session, that were distilled to a list of around 150 bills and resolutions where we feel our constituents and partners are most interested in and have the most significant environmental impacts. However the most consequential bill this session, that is still very much alive, is Senate Bill 89 (KCC Strong Oppose) which would dismantle long-standing water protections and threaten clean water access for Kentuckians.
We need YOU to keep making calls to "Oppose Senate Bill 89." The bill is now in the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. But we need everyone to educate every House member about this bill!
On Tuesday, March 4, at 11:00 am advocates including KCC, KRC, Ky. Sierra Club, Ky. Waterways Alliance and others will hold a press conference outlining the dangers of Senate Bill 89 (KCC Strong Oppose), legislation that would threaten clean water access for Kentuckians, and highlight how SB 89 will impact waterways. We hope you will join us!
The March 4 media conference will be River Row Boathouse, 608 Hawkins Drive Frankfort, KY 40601
The bill is expected to be read before the Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Thursday, March 6.
ACT: CONTINUE TO MAKE YOUR CALLS in opposition of Senate Bill 89.
Legislative message line: 1-800-372-7181, M-F from 7AM-6PM or email here! You may contact members of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee and ask them to oppose House Bill 89. You may also contact “all members of the House” or your own House member and ask them to oppose this bill.
You can also help us storm social media. Take a photo of yourself enjoying water—drinking, swimming, gardening, fishing, whatever clean water means to you. Hold a sign that says STOP SB 89 (or add it digitally!).Post your photo with #StopSB89, tag your legislators (find your legislator here: https://bit.ly/FindYourLegislatorKY), and tag us and @kyconservation.
Finally, support our allies at Kentucky Waterways Alliance and join their Virtual Town Hall on this legislation. Town Hall registration (required): https://bit.ly/3QEcTzu
Bills on the Move (Highlights)
(Check our full bill list above for additional bills to comment on and their status).
OPPOSE:
House Bill 6 (KCC Oppose) relating to administrative regulations and declaring an emergency. The bill passed the House 79-19 and is on its way to the Senate.
House Bill 16 (KCC Oppose) Allows the governing bodies of water systems subject to regulation by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to decide whether they participate in water fluoridation programs. This bill passed out of the House 32 sponsors on a vote of 68-29 and is now in the Senate Committee on Committees.
House Bill 137 (KCC Strong Oppose) impacting air quality. Prevents the use of citizen-based data and evidence in bringing complaints and enforcing laws related to air quality. Passed the House and is now in Senate Natural Resources.
House Bill 346 (KCC Oppose) also impacting air quality, related to “emergency stationary internal combustion engines” passed the House 83-12 and is now awaiting assignment the Senate Committee on Committees.
House Bill 701 (KCC Oppose) relating to blockchain digital assets and crypto-mining. The bill sub is somewhat improved from the original bill, but we still would like to see more regulation of this industry, particularly to electricity use and noise impacts. The bill has passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.
SUPPORT:
House Bill 114 (KCC Support) addressing landowner liability for recreational use permission. The bill was reported favorably in House Tourism & Outdoor Recreation and is now in the House.
House Bill 356 (KCC Support) establishing the Kentucky Urban Farming Youth Initiative pilot program. The bill was posted for passage in the House for today and is on its way to the Senate.
Lead Protections Weakened
One of our earliest priority bills was House Bill 173 (Strong Oppose) by Rep. Dotson, which intended to preempt local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances that create a registry of rental properties for any purpose, including for lead contamination reporting. This bill was filed in response to the lead reporting ordinance in Louisville, which was designed to protect Louisville children from lead exposure. It was yet another attempt by the Legislature to pass bills that preempt regulations coming from the Louisville Metro Area.
The bill had not moved since it was placed in the House Local Government committee on 2/4, but the threat of its passage was used as leverage to have the Louisville Metro area back down on their existing ordinance that was passed unanimously in 2022. But on Thursday evening (2/27) Louisville Metro Council voted to repeal and rewrite Louisville's lead protections and eliminate some of Louisville's rental registry regulations.
This bill has been part of a history of “preemption” bills that block local governments from passing laws that differ from state laws and many of these have been particularly focused on the Louisville Metro Government.
Public Service Commission Bill Stalls- for now
Senate Bill 8 (R. Stivers) (Oppose) started as a fast-moving bill was quickly assigned to Senate Natural Resources & Energy, and had also been given two readings in the Senate and returned to the committee, which indicated it was being positioned to pass the Senate quickly. But on Wednesday, President Stivers presented the issues around Senate Bill 8 to Senate Natural Resources, but then declined to move the bill forward for now. We appreciate everyone’s calls to oppose this bill and hope this means it will be stalled for now, but we will continue to watch this legislation until the 2025 General Assembly concludes.
Read more on the backstory around this bill in this article from the Kentucky Lantern,