They're in the minority.

But Democrats in the Kentucky General Assembly still have an ambitious agenda for 2024, and some of them laid out those plans yesterday.

Our Clayton Dalton has more on policy ideas by Senate Democrats in tonight's legislative update.

Senate Democrats have laid out their priorities for the 2024 legislative session.

Their agenda is centered on three areas the state's budget, education and family and child welfare.

The Democratic Caucus said their aim is to improve the well-being of all Kentuckians.

State Senator Gerald Neal, a Democrat from Louisville and the minority floor leader, said he believes it's time to use the state's budget surplus to benefit the most Kentuckians possible.

We are in an unprecedented position here in Kentucky.

I mean, it's unheard of, historic, in fact, that we have a rainy day fund that is in the billions range.

Now, that's significant because it's never been there before, at least in my estimation, or my research.

But not only that, we are in a position of unparalleled economic growth and development.

We are flush with funds.

We're way beyond the framework that economists and financial analysts would say is reasonable in terms of a budget.

The state's largest expenditure is education, and Senate Democrats say they want to put even more dollars towards Kentucky's public schools.

We want to increase pay and not just teacher pay.

You hear you hear references, teacher pay.

But that's not just our focus.

We want to increase pay for all personnel in the school system, both teachers and not teachers.

That includes the cafeteria workers.

That includes the janitorial staff.

That includes bus drivers.

The governor has advocated for 11% pay increase and we support that.

And then finally, we want to make sure that we fund universal pre-K. We have to have universal pre-K here in Kentucky.

Studies show that when you get four year olds in school, their health outcomes are better, their graduation rates are better, their college going rates are better, their life as adults are better.

It only cost about 175 million to $200 billion a year.

We have that money year after year after year to help better our young people.

Senator Kasy Chambers Armstrong, the newest member of the Senate's Democratic Caucus, focused on issues facing Kentucky families and children.

In addition to creating a Kentucky child tax credit and funding bill programs for low income schools, Chambers Armstrong discussed her bill that exempts diapers from state sales tax.

We know that one out of two Kentucky families struggle to afford the diapers they need.

I've heard stories of families who have washed and reused disposable diapers because they don't have the resources to purchase the diapers they need.

Or if families do purchase the diapers they need, they end up taking that money out of their rent, out of their groceries, out of the other things that they needed to pay for that month.

I don't want to say that getting rid of our 6% sales tax is going to solve all of the problem.

But we know from experience and from the many other states that have tried this that it works, that it helps, and that it helps our kids.

Although some Republicans have pushed back on universal pre-K, some of the Democrats measures aimed at families and children have received bipartisan support this session.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

Thank you, Clayton.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer has teamed up with Senator Chambers Armstrong on Senate Bill 97.

Her legislation aimed at making diaper sales a tax exempt figure along with five other Republicans, signed on as co-sponsors to the bill.