As Silly Season (The Kentucky General Assembly in session) here are a few of the good, the bad, and the stupid and unnecessary legislation before the 2008 Session.
First up, some good ideas:
I’m a political person, but robo-calling drives me nuts. I hate it. I don’t give Jimmy Higdon’s bill much chance of passage, but we have to thank him for at least trying.
BR 484 - Representative Jimmy Higdon (11/26/07)
AN ACT relating to automated or recorded political telephone messages. Prohibit use of automated calling equipment or recorded political telephone messages from or by a political party or campaign; make use of such equipment for communicating political messages by a political party or campaign a Class B misdemeanor; each such automated call or recorded political message shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed fifty (50) dollars, with a maximum fine for such violations not to exceed one thousand (1000) dollars.
Melvin Henley’s bill is good idea. If some SOB tortures and animal they should have to pay for its’ care. Let’s hope the veterinarians out there over bill.
BR 470 - Representative Melvin B. Henley (11/08/07)
AN ACT relating to animal cruelty. Amend KRS 525.125, 525.130, and 525.135 to require the offender to pay reasonable and necessary maintenance expenses for care of animals involved in cruelty and torture cases; amend KRS 436.605 to require a court, upon petition, to conduct forfeiture hearing and, except for good cause, require defendant to post surety for expenses related to animals care or forfeit animal.
Jim Glenn wants to dial down the caffeine at schools. Good idea.
BR 95 - Representative Jim Glenn (11/07/07)
AN ACT relating to healthy children. Amend KRS 158.854 to prohibit caffeine-stoked energy drinks in the schools.
Get the kids off the caffeine high and maybe they can pay attention if Mary Lou Marzian’s bill passes. Let’s home the curricula would include some comparisons to the current government policies in this country.
BR 302 - Representative Mary Lou Marzian (10/09/07)
A JOINT RESOLUTION relating to the inclusion of the Holocaust in the school curriculum. Direct the commissioner of education to convene a work group to review Holocaust curricula developed by other states and review the Kentucky core content to determine places where the study of the Holocaust may be included; require the work group to develop a curriculum guide that teachers may use to teach the history of the Holocaust; require the work group to submit a final report and curriculum guide to the commissioner of education and the Kentucky Board of Education no later than March 1, 2009; require the changes to the Kentucky core content be disseminated to local schools to be incorporated into the school curriculum for the 2009-2010 school year; specify that the Department of Education shall disseminate the final report and the curriculum guide to local districts and schools prior to the 2009-2010 school year.
Damon Thayer has a good idea (I never thought I would say that), but it doesn’t go far enough. We should also abolish the other two do nothing constitutional offices – Commissioner of Agriculture and Secretary of State. But wait, those offices are occupied by Republicans like Thayer.
BR 192 - Senator Damon Thayer (10/12/07)
AN ACT proposing to amend Sections 53, 91, 93, 95, and 245 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to the Treasurer. Propose to amend Sections 153, 91, 93, and 245 of the Constitution of Kentucky to abolish the office of Treasurer; submit to voters for approval or disapproval.
With the possibility of Casinos in Kentucky Jim Wayne and Charles Siler are taking a step in the right direction.
BR 49 - Representative Jim Wayne, Representative Charles Siler (10/09/07)
AN ACT relating to compulsive gambling and making an appropriation therefor. Create new sections of KRS Chapter 222 to create the compulsive gamblers awareness and treatment fund; limit administrative costs to $50,000 per year; establish the Gamblers Awareness and Treatment Fund Advisory Council; establish limits on funding amounts per fiscal year; assign responsibility to the director of the Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, in collaboration with the advisory council, to develop standards, evaluate requests for funding, recommend payment mechanisms, certify disbursement of funds, and report annually; amend KRS 138.510 to provide funding from the excise tax on horse racing based upon a percentage of the total amount wagered; amend KRS 154A.130 to provide funding from a percentage of the gross revenue of the lottery corporation; amend KRS 238.570 to provide funding from a percentage of the fee imposed on charitable gaming; amend KRS 164.7871 to conform.
Now for the bad ideas:
Ok, Rick how are you going to pay for this? Law enforcement can’t deal with the drug problems in this state, now Rick Nelson wants us become the border police. These sounds like a Stan Lee bash the Hispanics bill. By the way, Stan must be worn out from getting his rear end kicked by Jack Conway. Stan doesn’t have a single pre-filed bill.
BR 283 - Representative Rick G. Nelson (11/27/07)
AN ACT relating to unauthorized aliens. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 15 to allow local law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with the federal government to enforce immigration law; create a new section of KRS Chapter 16 to require the State Police to enter into an agreement with the federal government to enforce immigration law and to form a Kentucky State Police Illegal Alien Task Force; Create several new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to prohibit employers from employee illegal aliens, to create a graduated loss of business license or charter scheme for those found to have done so after January 1, 2009, and to require utilization of a federal work authorization verification system; amend KRS 514.160 to include with the offense of identity theft the theft of identity by an unauthorized alien for the purpose of obtaining employment; create a noncodified section to create a Employer Sanctions Task Force to study the system of employer sanction relative to the employment of unauthorized aliens to operate during the 2008 legislative interim; create a noncodified section to name the act, "The Kentucky Legal Workers Act."
Gambling - Bad Idea – Period.
BR 18 - Senator David E. Boswell (11/07/07)
AN ACT proposing to create a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky and amend Section 226 of the Constitution of Kentucky, relating to casinos. Propose a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to casinos; allow the General Assembly to permit the operation of casinos, which may include casinos at horse racing tracks; provide, if General Assembly authorizes casino gaming, for agency of state government to be created to regulate casinos by special law notwithstanding Section 59 or 60 of the Constitution, establish qualifications of individuals and entities authorized to operate casinos, limit number and location of casinos, define types of lotteries, gift enterprises and gambling games to be permitted, provide for other standards to ensure honest operation of casinos; define casino and casino-style gaming; restrict operation of casinos until the state agency shall have first approved the conduct of casinos and the governing body of the county, urban-county, charter county, or consolidated local government has approved the operation; propose to amend Section 226 of the Kentucky Constitution to provide that the new section is an exception to the prohibition against lotteries and gift enterprises; submit to voters; provide ballot language.
BR 38 - Senator David E. Boswell (11/07/07)
AN ACT relating to gaming and making an appropriation therefor. Establish KRS Chapter 239 to authorize gambling at horse racing tracks and casinos
Ok, so Mike Cherry, Derrick Graham and Julian Carroll don’t read this blog. If they do they have not been paying attention. The two bills below are exactly the kind of near sighted, dim witted legislation that got the retirement systems in the mess they are today. If these guys wanted to do something for employees, teachers and retirees, then they would be overhauling the entire system.
BR 381 - Representative Mike Cherry, Representative Derrick Graham (10/10/07)
AN ACT relating to retirement. Amend KRS 61.510 to extend the high-three final compensation window set to expire January 1, 2009, for those state employees eligible for the benefit based upon service credit as of December 31, 2008; amend KRS 61.595 to extend the 2.2 percent benefit factor window set to expire January 31, 2009, for those state employees eligible for the benefit based upon service credit as of December 31, 2008; amend KRS 78.510 to extend the high-three final compensation window set to expire January 1, 2009, for those county employees eligible for the benefit based upon service credit as of December 31, 2008
BR 334 - Senator Julian M. Carroll (10/04/07)
AN ACT relating to teacher retirement. Amend KRS 161.550 to provide that the state contribution to the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System shall not be less than the amount necessary to maintain the medical insurance program at a level equal to the medical insurance coverage for active teachers.
Now for one that I didn’t know was problem. I really didn’t know that unpasteurized goat milk was a problem the needed legislative action.
BR 351 - Representative David Osborne (11/15/07)
AN ACT relating to unpasteurized goat milk. Create new sections of KRS Chapter 217C to define "producer", to require permits to sell unpasteurized goat milk or goat milk products, to require that sales records be kept, to require sampling and testing of unpasteurized goat milk and goat milk products and establish criteria that must be met, to establish sanitary guidelines for milking areas, to establish sanitary guidelines for dairy goats, to require warning labels on containers of unpasteurized goat milk and goat milk products, and to prohibit local governments from enacting legislation relating to unpasteurized goat milk or goat milk products.
The next three lumped together demands the following question:
If you are not driving down The Purple Heart Trail in your Corvette eating Burgoo, do you really care about these bills?
BR 163 - Representative Jim Glenn (11/07/07)
AN ACT designating burgoo as the state dish. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 2 naming and designating burgoo as the state dish.
BR 225 - Representative C. B. Embry Jr (10/08/07)
AN ACT designating the Corvette as the official state sports car of Kentucky. Designate the Corvette as the official state sports car of Kentucky.
BR 329 - Senator Elizabeth Tori, Senator Joey Pendleton (10/26/07)
A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Transportation Cabinet to extend "The Purple Heart Trail" past Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. Extend "The Purple Heart Trail" pass Fort Knox and Fort Campbell
And finally a bill that goes beyond time wasting to just plain stupid. I like to urge Jim DeCesare, to get the urge, to urgently do some real work in Frankfort. We urgently need a less posturing in Frankfort.
BR 261 - Representative Jim DeCesare (10/08/07)
A RESOLUTION urging each local school board to seek input from parents, teachers, community members, and other stakeholders prior to the approval of the local school calendar. Urge local school boards to seek input from interested stakeholders before approving the school calendar.
