Good, Bad and Just Plain Weird

Moving on through the bills filed in the Kentucky House.

I do notice that the bill does not include taxing services provided by accountants or owners of retirement communities. This must be a clerical error; surely the sponsors didn’t mean to exclude these services.

HB 51 (BR 90) - B. Farmer, D. Floyd
AN ACT relating to taxation. Amend various sections of KRS Chapter 139 to expand the sales and use tax base to include certain services and rental of commercial real estate, repeal certain exemptions, and lower the tax rate; create a new section of KRS Chapter 141 to apply the provisions of that chapter to taxable years beginning before January 1, 2010; amend KRS 141.020, 141.040, and 141.0401 to make the individual income tax, corporation income tax, and the limited liability entity tax effective for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2010; amend KRS 138.358 and 139.260 to conform; repeal KRS 139.485 and 139.486; EFFECTIVE July 1, 2009.

I don’t have a problem giving former military personnel a break. But the only thing this bill accomplishes is to waste tax payer dollars by requiring state agencies to spend time interviewing people they will never hire.

If a person tests well and can do the job, they may get an interview and maybe the job. If the person is totally not qualified, and has no political connections, then it doesn’t matter how many extra points they get or how many times someone has to interview them, they are not going to get the job.

When it comes to state jobs, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

HB 61 (BR 227) - M. Cherry
AN ACT relating to honoring military service. Amend KRS 18A.150 to expand the state hiring preference honoring military service; require the adding of five or ten preference points to a military-connected individual's examination score used for state hiring in classified positions; permit the total of an examination score and preference points to exceed 100; require that a register certificate of finalists for a state job identify all finalists entitled to preference points, whether or not an examination is actually a part of the selection method; require that an employing state agency offer an interview to all finalists entitled to preference points unless five or more of the finalists are entitled preference points, in which case, the employing state agency shall offer an interview to no fewer than five.

Could someone explain to me why a black man from Louisville sees a need for these pieces of legislation?

HB 62 (BR 253) - R. Meeks
AN ACT relating to the definition of "American Indian." Amend KRS 446.010 to define "American Indian" to mean a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment to the tribe of origin; make conforming amendments

HB 63 (BR 254) - R. Meeks
AN ACT relating to recognition of American Indian tribes. Create a new section of KRS Chapter 171 to allow a group desiring to be formally recognized as an American Indian tribe to submit a petition to the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission; provide criteria that shall be met to be recognized as an American Indian tribe; authorize the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission to approve petitions submitted for recognition; provide approved petitions to the Governor and, if the Governor accepts the recommendation, provide for issuance of an executive order recognizing the approved group; require the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission to promulgate administrative regulations identifying the procedures to be followed in submitting a petition and appealing and decision of the commission.

I’ll go with this one only if the state never pays for any member of this committee to travel outside the borders of the United States. Alright, everyone together now, say "No Junkets at Tax Payer Expense".

HB 64 (BR 255) - R. Meeks
AN ACT relating to economic development. Create a new section of Subchapter 12 of KRS Chapter 154 to establish the International Business Relations Committee as a permanent committee of the Legislative Research Commission; provide that the committee shall address efforts to attract and maintain international businesses in Kentucky and open foreign markets to Kentucky goods and services.

Thank you Dr. Watkins.

HB 68 (BR 189) - D. Watkins
AN ACT relating to a cigarette surtax and declaring an emergency. Amend various sections of KRS Chapter 138 to create an additional cigarette surtax of 70 cents; increase the tax rates for other tobacco products and snuff; impose a floor stock tax as of July 31, 2009; EMERGENCY.

After someone does their time they should be allowed to vote.

HB 70/LM (BR 289) - J. Crenshaw, D. Owens
AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to persons entitled to vote. Propose to amend Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky to exclude a convicted felon from the right to vote only until expiration of probation, final discharge from parole, or maximum expiration of sentence; submit to the voters for ratification or rejection.

Given the homophobic nature of the General Assembly this has the chance of a snow ball in hell of passing, but a least the issue is on the table.

HB 72/LM (BR 284) - M. Marzian
AN ACT relating to civil rights. Amend KRS 344.010 to include definitions for "sexual orientation" and "gender identity"; amend KRS 344.020, relating to the purpose of the Kentucky's civil rights chapter, to include a prohibition on discrimination because of sexual orientation and gender identity; amend KRS 344.040, 344.050, 344.060, 344.070, and 344.080, relating to prohibited discrimination in various labor and employment practices, to include sexual orientation and gender identity; amend KRS 344.025, 344.100, 344.110, and 18A.095, relating to the same, to conform; amend KRS 344.120 and 342.140, relating to prohibited discrimination in places of public accommodation and advertisements therefor, to include sexual orientation and gender identity; amend KRS 344.170, 344.180, 344.190, 344.300, and 344.310, relating to the state and local human rights commissions, to include prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the scope of their powers and duties; amend KRS 344.360, 344.680, 344.370, and 344.380, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain housing, real estate, and other financial transactions, to include sexual orientation and gender identity; amend KRS 344.367, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain insurance sales, to include sexual orientation and gender identity; amend KRS 344.400, relating to prohibited discrimination in certain credit transactions, to include sexual orientation and gender identity; and make various technical amendments.