The Lexington is considering a source of income discrimination ban, meaning landlords could not deny applicants solely because they use federal vouchers to pay their rent.

The final vote on the ban is tomorrow night and if passed, would take effect on March 1st.

But a bill advancing in the Kentucky General Assembly and Frankfort would really shake things up.

Kentucky Edition's Clayton Dalton has more.

Kentucky's two largest cities, Louisville and Lexington, have either passed or are considering passing a ban on source of income discrimination.

This means landlords would have to treat federal housing vouchers with the same merit as traditional income like earned wages.

But some Republicans say these local ordinances encroach on the rights of property owners.

This overreach of local government is forcing individual property owners to take Section eight vouchers and any other government program that might be available.

And so we as a body need to ensure that property owners have the rights.

It is a basic tenet of capitalism, and I've always been a strong proponent of local control, but this is not a local control issue.

This is a property rights issue.

Andrew Bates with the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises says that although source of income discrimination bans aren't present in eastern Kentucky, the bill could negatively impact vulnerable Kentuckians.

And these voucher holders are disproportionately elderly, disabled and veterans.

As Senator Chambers Armstrong noted, it's particular concern that, you know, many of our veterans in Kentucky depend on housing choice vouchers through the HUD.

VASH program.

And as written, you know, this bill would prevent a community from requiring property owners to accept those vouchers from homeless veterans.

I'd also like to make clear that these I nondiscrimination laws do not require property owners to accept all voucher holders.

You know, as as earlier commenters have stated.

Senate Majority floor leader Damien Thayer supports the bill and noted that this House bill, rather than a similar measure from State Senator Stephen West, will move forward.

We don't live in California.

We don't live in New York.

We live in Kentucky.

And we're not going to force people to take below market value for their private property here in Kentucky.

So I would like to note for the record that there has been an agreement worked forward to to pass the House version of the bill.

House Bill 18 passed out of committee 6 to 3 with Republican State Senator Chris McDaniel joining Democrats Kasy Chambers Armstrong and Denise Harper.

Angell in voting no.

Lawmakers also heard Senate Bill 126 sponsored by Senator McDaniel that would limit the governor's pardoning power.

The bill is in response to previous Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin's last minute pardons for violent offenders, including people convicted of murder and child sexual abuse.

Senate Bill 126 puts on the ballot in front of the voters of the Commonwealth.

The idea that a governor would not be able to issue pardons 30 days prior to a gubernatorial election until the time of a swearing in.

This, in essence, is a two month period out of every four years when a governor could not issue pardons.

I think that it is imperative to the foundational issues of justice in the Commonwealth that one individual not be able to short circuit the entirety of a justice system from the front line police officer who makes an arrest to the Supreme Court of the land, who in the sentence of the condemned to death is the final adjudicator.

That power should not rest and one person who will never again stand accountable in front of the voters.

Senate Bill 126 passed out of committee with one registered pass vote.

Both bills now head to the Senate floor.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.