seventh American service member killed since the fighting began.

A child care reform bill is making its way through the Kentucky General Assembly.

Turning now to state legislative news.

But as our June Leffler reports, some Republicans are skeptical if the state and hired contractors can carry out lawmakers vision that begins tonight's legislative update.

[MUSIC] >> The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce gathered dozens of stakeholders in 2024 to brainstorm and agree on some key childcare solutions.

Those recommendations are now before state lawmakers and House Bill six and House Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by the chair of the House Families and Children Committee.

>> More efforts will be needed in the future, but this is going to initiate work that should have happened years ago.

>> Among other things, this legislation would revamp Kentucky's five star rating program for child care centers.

It creates a pilot for smaller or micro childcare centers.

It adjusts the formula for state childcare, subsidies for low income families, and guarantees childcare workers have daycare for their own children, something the General Assembly approved in the short term last budget cycle.

One of Kentucky's leading childcare experts, who's written books about the state and nation's child care crisis, says this builds on recent success, specifically the child care assistance for childcare workers.

>> This idea has been very effective financially for many states, and they have been following our lead.

>> A Northern Kentucky Republican is skeptical.

>> I'm just very concerned about this government involvement in childcare, and I just don't like that the taxpayer is paying for other people's childcare.

I just think that that's not a good recipe.

>> The bill sponsor says some responsibilities are shifted from the state to the private sector.

House Bill six calls for a third party to administer the Employee Childcare Assistance Partnership program.

It matches state dollars to employer contributions for childcare.

But it's been underutilized.

>> And I don't think that the administration has made it any easier.

You know, I feel like they kind of pick and choose what they decide to implement, what they don't.

And so if this isn't someone's full time job to promote the program, we're just not seeing the success of it.

>> That idea got pushback as well.

>> Seems to me the success or failure of this program is going to be involved in the contract for the third party administrator, which is totally opaque to us right now.

>> The Senate Families and Children Committee passed House Bill six in an 8 to 2 vote.

>> This is about our kids.

This is about workforce.

This is about our economy.

This touches every segment of what we do as a state, but yet we're reluctant to invest in it.

>> The committee also approved House Joint Resolution 50, which calls for a report from the state auditor on Kentucky's child care operations.

These bills now head to the full Senate, potentially for passage for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

Not all childcare providers are on board with the measures.

A representative from ABC Children's Academy in Bowling Green blasts the bill, that of Senator or state Representative Samara Heavrin, saying it won't help the child care industry