The Circus is Back in Town

Meandering through the pre-filed legislation before the Kentucky House of Representatives usually provides me more than a few WTF moments and the less frequent, “That sounds like a reasonable idea” moment.

Due to short attention spans I’ve only looked at the first 25 bills filed in the House, I’ll get to the others later.

First the short list, the ideas I like:

No one, well almost no one, buys medical equipment for fun. Exempting durable medical equipment sounds like a reasonable exemption.

HB 3 (BR 437) - S. Riggs
AN ACT relating to durable medical equipment. Amend KRS 139.472 to exempt durable medical equipment from the sales and use tax; EFFECTIVE July, 1, 2009.

As I’ve previously posted the devil is in the detail, anything the shines a little more light in the dark corners of government is a good idea.

HB 13 (BR 75) - J. DeCesare, C. Embry Jr.
AN ACT relating to accounting for the expenditure of state funds. Create new sections of KRS Chapter 42 to require the Finance and Administration Cabinet to create a searchable Web site to provide certain information on the expenditure of state funds; provide that the new sections shall be known as the "Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2009."

Please make them stop, and could we include every law enforcement group that hires professional beggars to annoy the public under the pretense of being a charity.

HB 18 (BR 79) - J. Higdon
AN ACT relating to automated or recorded political telephone messages. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 367 to 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; provide that each prohibited automated call or recorded political message shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not less than $5,000; provide that an injured person may bring a cause of action for damages up to the amount of actual damages or $1,000 whichever is greater.

Then there are the ideas that are close, but need some work:

Why couldn’t the following bill just say “state-operated institutions and programs?

HB 6 (BR 400) - T. Burch
AN ACT relating to homelessness. Amend KRS 194A.735 to continue the homelessness prevention pilot project to offer discharge planning on a voluntary basis to persons exiting state-operated institutions, foster care programs, and persons serving out sentences in state-operated prisons in Oldham County.

I’ll go with this one if they change it from “appropriation measure or a revenue measure” to any floor amendment or free conference report regardless of subject.

HB 14 (BR 76) - J. DeCesare, S. Lee
AN ACT relating to a legislative time-out prior to voting on a floor amendment or a free conference report related to an appropriation measure or a revenue measure. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 6 to require a legislative time-out period of 24 hours prior to a vote on an appropriation or revenue bill or amendment.

Bills I Don’t Like:

I’ll go with this one if they include members of the legislature before every session, with random follow up screenings during the session.

HB 15 (BR 42) - M. Henley, J. Gooch Jr.
AN ACT relating to substance abuse screening pilot programs for public assistance recipients. Amend KRS 205.200 to create two pilot substance abuse screening programs for recipients of public assistance.

This sounds like a good idea, but this reads like a further institutionalization of the two party system that limits it he involvement of independent voices.

HB 17 (BR 24) - J. Higdon
AN ACT relating to primaries. Amend KRS 116.055 to permit a registered independent to vote in the primary of one party for each primary; amend KRS 118.125 to provide that a primary candidate shall not be a registered independent; amend KRS 117.125 to provide that electronic voting machines be reprogrammed to allow a registered independent to vote for a party's candidates in a primary.

And finally under the redundant, why are they wasting time on this again, classification we have the burning need to change automobile license plates.

Here’s a suggestion, let’s allow anyone to put anything they want on a motor vehicle license plate, as long as the person is willing to pay for the plate. Kentucky can be the Café Press of state license plates.

I'm sure this idea will offend someone, freedom of speech usually does.

HB 24/LM (BR 78) - J. Gooch Jr., H. Collins, M. Cherry, R. Crimm, R. Damron, C. Embry Jr., K. Hall, M. Henley, S. Riggs, S. Santoro, K. Sinnette, T. Thompson
AN ACT relating to motor vehicle license plates. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 186 to establish an In God We Trust license plate as an alternate standard issue license plate; set forth design characteristics and eligibility standards; amend KRS 186.240 to conform; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2010

HB 25/LM (BR 120) - R. Nelson, C. Embry Jr.
AN ACT relating to motor vehicle license plates. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 186 to establish an "In God We Trust" license plate as an alternate standard issue license plate; set forth design characteristics and eligibility standards; amend KRS 186.240 to conform; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2010.