As I look back on my time serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a state senator, very few of my colleagues have left as big an impact on the legislature like my friend and Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer. Senator Thayer deserves recognition for his fierce leadership in the Senate, his commitment to the … Continued
This weekend we honor the brave men and women who gave their lives for this great country. Originally referred to as “Decoration Day,” the holiday originated after the Civil War as Americans would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers each year. Following WWI it took on new significance and all of America’s wars … Continued
After numerous long nights highlighted by plenty of healthy debate and “number crunching,” the Kentucky General Assembly finally reached an agreement on the two-year state budget early Thursday morning. Between a newly elected governor and new political dynamics in the House, the process may have lasted a bit longer than usual, but we were happy … Continued
Long days, heated discussions, and budget negotiations marked the 13th week of the 2016 General Assembly. The Senate was in session three of the five weekdays while Senate and House leaders used the other two days to work on budget negotiations. The Senate is working diligently toward a budget compromise ensuring the people of the … Continued
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Addressing Kentucky’s underfunded pension systems was the top priority in the Senate’s version of House Bill (HB) 303, the state’s two-year budget, which passed the Kentucky Senate on March 23. One major difference between the Senate’s budget and the House’s budget it passed last week is structural balance. That means that our … Continued
After over two months of anticipation and debate, the Senate finally received the state budget bill from the House midway through the 11th week of the 2016 Kentucky General Assembly. Governor Matt Bevin was elected in a landslide last fall because the people of Kentucky recognized a need for financial change and fiscal responsibility. We … Continued
Not only did Friday mark the end to another busy week in the Kentucky Senate, but also it was day 46 of our 60-day legislative session. We are now in the proverbial “fourth quarter” when the House and the Senate must come together to get a victory for the state of Kentucky by passing a … Continued
The passage of bills that would help children with disabilities, preserve rights of victims in criminal cases, and fight for the rights of the unborn highlighted another busy week in the Senate. As Thursday marked day 40 of our 60-day legislative session in Frankfort, we are still anxiously awaiting a budget bill from our colleagues … Continued
As the Senate eagerly awaits a budget proposal from the House of Representatives, we are busy passing bills both out of committee and through the Senate to send to our House colleagues during the eighth week of the 2016 Kentucky General Assembly. We welcomed a special guest to the Capitol this week, Stanford University … Continued
Heated floor speeches, huge committee hearings and the observance of Presidents’ Day highlighted the seventh week of the 2016 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. As we have passed the halfway point of this session, the countdown begins as we in the Senate anticipate the forthcoming 2016-2018 budget bill from the House of Representatives. There … Continued