Over 150 bills landed on the Governor’s desk in the seventh week of the 153rd Regular Session. Both the House and the Senate worked late into the evening to move bills through in the final hours on the 29th day of the 30-day legislative session.
We have now entered into the “veto recess,” during which Governor Matt Bevin will have the opportunity to sign and veto bills passed by the Kentucky General Assembly.
Our final week addressed a variety of bills including expungement, strangulation, drunken driving, solar panels, elections, abortion, campus free speech, and executive branch ethics.
The House concurred with House Bill 114, which contained an amendment that I attached, and sent the bill to the Governor’s desk. My amendment, which was similar Senate Bill 34, which I sponsored, effectively removed the Secretary of State as a voting member of the State Board of Elections. Additionally, the amendment states that any inappropriate access to the state’s voter rolls will be treated as a misdemeanor. HB 114 was signed into law Tuesday morning. It is crucial that we protect the integrity of our electoral process.
Kentucky became the 16th state to allow permitless concealed carry of firearms under Senate Bill 150, which was signed into law this week by Governor Bevin. SB 150 allows Kentuckians age 21 and older who are legally eligible possess a firearm to carry concealed anywhere that those with a concealed carry permit are allowed to possess a firearm. However, permitless carry would not be allowed where prohibited by federal law or otherwise prohibited. I was proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill and will continue to fight for the 2nd Amendment rights of Kentuckians.
The Senate also passed House Bill 5, which prohibits an abortion on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, or disability, except in cases of medical emergency. HB 5 joins Senate Bill 9 as the second major piece of pro-life legislation to be signed into law this session. The General Assembly continues to pass legislation that places Kentucky at the forefront of fighting for the unborn.
The General Assembly will reconvene on Thursday, March 28th to wrap up legislative business and adjourn the 2019 Regular Session, sine die.