Today marks day 48 of the  60-day 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The 2024 session is winding down with only twelve days left. Last week, we saw movement on a number of pieces of legislation and the first gubernatorial veto and override. With only nine legislative days left in the session, we can expect the pace of activity will only continue to increase. Here are some highlights for the business community from Frankfort last week:

Legislative Updates

State Budget Bills

The stage is set for movement this week of HB 1, the strategic investment appropriations bill, and HB 6, the Executive Branch budget bill. Both bills were taken from the Senate Appropriations and Revenue (A&R) Committee, given two readings, and returned to committee; a procedural move that will enable the bills to go to the floor immediately after a committee hearing where a committee substitute containing the Senate’s budget proposal will be added. Senate consideration of HB 1 and HB 6 is a necessary step toward budget conference committee negotiations to reach a final budget agreement before midnight on March 28, preserving legislative veto override ability. Unlike other bills, the Governor has line-item veto authority over appropriation bills, meaning he can veto parts of them instead of the whole bill.

The Transportation Cabinet budget, HB 265, providing for the operations of the Cabinet, and HB 266, the biennial highway construction plan, passed the House on unanimous votes this week and have been assigned to Senate Transportation. The annual revenue bill that accompanies the budget, HB 8, has been given two readings and awaits action in the House A&R committee.

Group Violence Intervention Program

Friday the Senate passed one of GLI’s long term priorities, SB 202, which relates to Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention program (GVI). GVI relies on direct communication with violent groups by a partnership of law enforcement, social service providers, and community figures. This bill would allow the Parole Board or a court to require participation in Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention program as a condition of probation or parole. This change with help law enforcement better combat gang violence in our city by increasing participation in the program. The bill passed out of the Senate with overwhelming support and now moves to the House for passage.

Wiretapping

Kentucky is currently one of only four states that does not have a wiretapping law in place and HB 725 aims to address that. This bill would allow law enforcement to monitor and apprehend gang leaders in order to prevent violent crime around the city. Now more than ever, a bold approach to public safety is necessary to keep our residents safe. GLI encourages the passage of this bill and applauds this step toward making cities safer across the Commonwealth

Second Chance Hiring

HB 124 passed out of the House with a near unanimous vote. This bill allows those with a criminal history applying for a licensure or job that requires costly training or certification to “pre-apply” to make sure that their criminal history does not preclude them from the license. This is a major win in second chance hiring practices. The bill now moves to the Senate for passage