>> On the General Assembly's last day before that the DOE period, the legislature since the governor, the executive legislative and judicial branch, budgets changes to the public benefit system, also received final passage.

Another bill would make the attorney general, the sole constitutional officer able to challenge the constitutionality of bills passed by the Legislature on day.

58 of the 2022.

Kentucky General Assembly, regular session.

Good evening and thank you for joining us for legislative update.

I'm Kasey Parker about.

The General Assembly has sent the state budget to the governor's desk, the executive branch budget this year is House Bill.

One provides funding for full-day kindergarten gives raises to state workers with social workers and state police troopers receiving an additional pay bump and as 170 million dollars for Kentucky state Parks, the Senate approved the bill unanimously, but the Senate's minority leader says the budget is a missed opportunity, pointing to the unspent money set aside for House Bill 8, which could over time eliminate Kentucky's income tax.

>> That's still think this budget is a missed opportunity.

We've been given a once in a generation opportunity here in Kentucky.

We have record surpluses now.

Of 2 billion dollars.

We have record surpluses projected of 2 billion dollars.

We have 5 billion dollars in federal infrastructure money and a billion dollars in the American Rescue Plan.

Act funds.

This is our opportunity.

To make investments in the state.

That will reverberate.

25 years from now.

This budget is the opportunity for people to look back 20 years from now and say that's when they got this done.

That's when we got Kentucky moving in the right direction.

There's a billion dollars of unspent general fund revenue in this budget.

For tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Kentucky INS.

Now I've heard about budget surpluses and I've heard about American Rescue Plan Act money.

What I always hear is we've got to make sure.

That we use one time expenditures.

These aren't recurring funds.

I understand that logic.

But then we're spending a billion dollars on tax cuts for the wealthiest Kentucky INS.

That is a recurring expenditure.

With that billion dollars.

We could have funded Universal Pre K we could have increased the slots for our most vulnerable citizens.

We could have raised the cost of living adjustments for retirees who powered and work and helped build the state into what it is.

We could have increased the budget and education for all public school and for higher at.

>> After hearing the garbage comments, Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer Rose to counter his argument.

He says he's proud of the budget, calling a conservative and says the minority party got many of the once on their wish list included in the final document.

>> If we're up to the minority members of this chamber, they spend it all and probably borrow more to keep spending more because apparently, according to their you can't spend enough of the taxpayer money to satisfy their wants and needs.

It's a little bit tiring.

Mister President.

Just because we have a surplus doesn't mean we have to spend it all.

We have to remember where this money comes from.

It comes from the taxpayers.

We have to pass a balanced budget and make a decision.

And how much money do we put away for a rainy day?

And we put a lot of way for a rainy day.

Because as we've seen over the last 2 years.

We've had some rain occurrences.

A pandemic.

Tornadoes, natural disasters.

It's good to say.

For a rainy day, Democrat senators did have complaints about the budgeting process saying they didn't receive a copy of the Free Conference Committee report.

>> Until almost 8 o'clock last night, Grayson Senator Robin Webb says the budget shouldn't be partisan.

The Senate President Robert Stivers says the process is the fairest it's ever been.

>> So let's we view that in the law and was the lands that we are all here to represent our people and the commonwealth as a whole.

Because our needs are different.

Areas we represent don't rise to the level of some of yours.

I'm thankful that you all have more.

Some y'all have more opportunity.

It had been hit like we have with job losses and COVID.

And substance abuse.

But our needs are different.

So don't categorize anything that I do on a party affiliation.

I represent people.

>> We reached out not.

Republicans to Republicans in the House, but Republicans to our colleagues across the aisle.

What do you need?

What is there briefing?

No one.

What our documents work.

Consider it.

Having input.

Same thing down the way.

The House Republicans reached out to the House Democrats.

Didn't have to.

They have to at all.

Not the way it was.

25 years ago when I came in here, we've got no input because you're the minority and people who are punished in the legislative process.

It didn't matter the collateral damage was even though it was the porous.

This process has been the most open and fair process in the 26 years.

I've been here.

>> Louisville Senator Gerald Neal, pray cinders Givens and McDaniel about their openness and listening to him about Kentucky State University's needs.

He says the legislature appropriating the 23 million to address the university's budget shortfall and an additional 15 million to be distributed by the council on post-secondary education will help.

But the case, you has other financial needs that weren't addressed.

>> Even though funds were put into the budget.

Related to the deficit that 23 Million.

And even though I see that 15 more billion dollars is going to be available too continuous stabilization and move forward in the Biennium.

The 18.4 million dollars.

To deal with this question of its facilities was not addressed.

Now.

Sure, there were reasons for that.

I'm sure those rationality for that.

But when I look at Kentucky State University, I understand that.

That does not.

Take it forward to not provide funds that are needed.

Kentucky's public school system did get a funding bump.

The seek funding formula will raise $100 per student.

Each of the next 2 years.

And transportation costs are funded at 70%.

>> But Senate Minority Caucus Chair Richard Thomas says teachers should be receiving a raise to match state workers.

Pikeville Senator Phillip Wheeler says the money for teacher raises is already in the budget and the wait is appropriated.

Give school boards local control.

>> But it, teachers.

In that group.

I just think is unconscionable because what they do is very, very important due to the educate the future.

>> Of our country of our state every day.

And they don't get paid a whole lot.

But they deserve to get paid a reasonable salary.

And for us not to give teachers raise as well.

>> I'm just troubled by that particular when we have the money.

>> I'd also like to address some of the allegations that were not giving teachers are right in this budget.

We have raised the sick formula, probably the highest it's ever been.

And we have put that money back down in the local school districts.

We've not mandated what these districts have to do in order to get those educators rise.

We've not placed any limits on that.

It doesn't have to be a 6% or 8% rise of the district wants to give a 10% raise that they have the ability to do that on a local level through their elected school board members and their superintendent.

So we've given the maximum flexibility for our district to reward our educators and I hope they do.

>> The Senate passed House Bill one amended by the Free Conference Committee report.

35 to 0 in the House.

Groans about the absence of teacher raises in Pre K funding voiced by several Democrats say lawmakers were bypassing an opportunity to make bold investments considering the flush of cash and state coffers.

House Budget Chairman Jason Petri push back against criticism for not giving teachers a pay bump.

There is.

>> Our local boards.

The know their local circumstances that know their local history of races, the know how they need to adjust their own pace skills to focus on 5 year teachers, tenure, teachers or whatever.

They know their needs far better than we will.

And I have control over each of those pieces of their budgets.

So what do we do?

We make sure that we push enough money out to the district so that they can address their major priorities.

As well as be able to address additional teacher raises from what they have already done either by right step type things or by raises and bonuses and stipends.

They've been given over the last few years are several years leaving.

So just to put it in perspective, we're pushing money out to make sure that school boards can make those local decisions.

Representative Petri went on to say that north of 525 million dollars are being sent to local school districts.

>> And even more is allocated in the second year, Democrats applauded what was funded in the 2 year state spending plan but also expressed disappointment over what they perceived as missed opportunities.

It's been 15 years since the General Assembly has been in a position to pass a budget without cuts.

>> Very grateful to see 11 million dollars per year.

And then hopefully 10 million from kde to go into teaching our teachers had a better teacher rating.

I'm also very grateful for the funding of the mobile crisis services expansion, including the 9, 8, 8, number for mental health crises.

I'm also concerned about those who >> I have worked for state government.

Who have put in all those years and who retired.

And as I said in our conference meeting, they laid the groundwork for those who follow them.

We're now working for us and who are providing for us.

Even those in the Lrc branch of the governor.

But all across the state and I would hope that this body at some point we'll address the issue.

I know the cost.

We are looking at a group of retirees who have served us for 30 to 40, sometimes 50 years and have not had a cost of living increase since 2011.

And I think all of us would say that that's about it.

I'm going to support this budget.

I think it's it's a good budget.

It's the first time that we've had the resources to up.

>> In a very, very long time.

I am somewhat disappointed that we did not make.

>> One that big, bold.

And there are a lot of investments in here, but I think many of U.S. war searching for that big silver bullet, whether it was Pre K weather was infrastructure.

And that's just kind of a philosophical difference here.

I think there have been times of investments made around the state.

I hope that 20 years from now when I hope I'm still around 20 years from now, but 20 years from now, I hope Kentucky looks back and says, boy, we did put our money where our map as we did do tremendous things and that one opportunity we had when we had the resources to do it.

>> House Speaker Pro Tem David me defended the 16 billion dollar annual plan taking through the highlights.

He claims make it the best budget.

State lawmakers have crafted in many sessions.

>> This is an excellent budget.

I think this is the best one I have ever seen since.

I've been up here in my teen years and with record funding in education, including all-day kindergarten with fully funding pages bus actuarial with funding projects across the state.

It that truly attract new business increases economic development.

Pay raises for state employees.

The state police pay raises teachers with additional money in each of the districts in being good stewards of taxpayers.

Money and building that budget reserve, trust fun and getting tax reform done as well.

>> The House passed the biennial state budget.

93 to 3 sending it on to the governor for him to approve or issue line item vetoes.

The General Assembly also gave final approval to the legislative branch budget.

It gives raises to legislative staffers equivalent to state employees with an 8% raise in the first year of the budget House bill.

2.43.

Also gives legislators picked up, but those races won't take effect until after a seat is up for election Lawrenceburg.

Senator Adrian Southworth says she voted against the legislative budget because of those pay raises to legislators.

>> The whole point of the 18, 12% for state workers was because they haven't had raises in 15 years.

I do think that the general Assembly members are going to get the same 8% just seems off word to me.

It seems wrong.

I don't think that we're not in the same places are workers that have been here for 15 years with no raises are hardly any raises.

So I'm voting no.

>> Southworth was one of 2 no votes.

The other was Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey House bill 2.43, the legislative budget pass the Senate.

32 to 2.

The House gave final approval before sending it to the governor's desk.

76 to 16.

Judicial branch.

Employees could be getting a pay raise to if the governor signs House bill to 44 into law, the Senate passed the Judicial Branch budget unanimously.

The Grayson Senator Robin Webb, an attorney says Kentucky's judges should be looking at a race too.

>> There are part time judges in parts of the nation that that Mike as much or more as our full-time judges that have circuits as high as 4 counties.

So >> we've got to have you know, we've talked about this for years again.

This is another topic we keep revisiting, but we failed to act.

If we're going to attract.

Qualified, dedicated men and women.

>> To the bench.

To have the cornerstone of our judicial branch and justice system, both criminal and civil.

We've got to have a meaningful conversation about judges, salaries, House Bill 2.44.

>> The judicial branch budget was passed by the Senate.

34 to 0.

It was given final approval by the House on a concurrence vote.

94 to 2.

Bridges and black top plans on Governor Andy Beshear's desk.

State lawmakers finalize the road planned legislation last night allocating 2.9, 3 billion over the next 2 years with hundreds of millions go into building or rehabbing bridges and 250 million for a federal match for potential mega projects such as the Brent Spence Bridge widening of the Mount Parkway and the I-69 Ohio River crossing project northern Kentucky, Republican South Santoro is the point person for the House on transportation projects and summarize the road projects funding in the upcoming budget cycle.

It is 250 million dollars in the general fund for the Federal Highway Match on federal funds.

That is for the 3 big projects that I've been speaking about the Brent Spence Bridge, the Mountain Parkway.

And I-69 Ohio River Crossing project.

It's 69 million dollars in federal funds from the infrastructure investment in Jobs Act.

The electric vehicle charging programs and 17.3 million in general funds for the required 20% match.

It is reporting requirements that the cabinet must submit to the electric vehicle charging plan for the state and the to the interim Joint Committee on Transportation before June.

The 30th.

Of 2022, the plan is required to be submitted to the federal government by all this first.

It is one point are it is 11.4 million in general funds in 2023 to provide 200 $1000 to each of our General Aviation Airport.

It creates 3 bonded capital project pools for infrastructure improvements at these airports.

They are the Barclay Regional Airport.

The Mount Sterling, Montgomery County Airport in the Bardstown Nelson County Airport.

The road project measure also increases nonpublic school transportation funding from 3.5 million dollars to 5 million lawmakers passed House Bill 2.41.

Last night and it now awaits review by the governor.

The bill overhauling Kentucky's public benefits system.

He's heading to the Governor.

House bill 7 sets new work and reporting requirements for recipients of Medicaid and supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits.

Winchester Senator Ralph Alvarado.

Explain some of the bill's requirements he tries to make sure the public assistance benefits go to the people that actually really need it.

>> I tried to increase accountability.

Decrease fraud in the system and protect funds for those who need it.

The most.

Again, it encourages that snapper, the wise in the supplemental nutrition assistance programs is used for good nutritional choices establishes procedures for online, be certification and training for those benefits.

I presume a actually asked the Cabinet for wavered to expand snap for the elderly and the disabled as well.

Mixing that isn't available to them right now.

>> An initial estimate by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said the new administration costs to implement House Bill 7.

It costs 431 million dollars.

Proponents of the bill have question that number and further adjustments to the bill by the Legislature has reduced its oversight requirements.

Senate President Pro Tem David Givens make more adjustments today saying his form and that would help the system.

It first considers fluctuating income data for applicant qualifications simply because sometimes an applicant's income.

>> May fluctuate over a period of time and using a snapshot of just the last moments.

Income may not be accurate.

So this permits the use of fluctuating income data.

Secondly, and we're going to be studying this and watching his to make sure it's not abused.

There are ongoing concerns about self Attestation.

Someone's ability to claim that they have no means to provide for themselves in a way that that.

Keeps them out of qualifying for these benefits.

We're going to be times when we do need people to self at teh state.

However.

So this permits self attestation only as a last resort.

It doesn't removed completely from one decision metrics.

In the last and 3rd item when the General Assembly is not in session, they're going to be moments that the cabinet needs the ability to seek a waiver regarding work requirements.

So this and I'm mentioning this like think tornado.

I think devastating circumstances.

This permits the cabinet, the chance to apply for a waiver of set of supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, work requirements in a county in which the cabinet determines that other economic conditions other than unemployment rate, our severe enough to necessitate a waiver.

Several Democrats praise Givens amendment but then said they still couldn't support the bill.

They said it will hurt working families at additional cost of the program and the fraud is already rare.

>> I think the overall bill is still lacking.

>> And I think it is still.

Punishing.

Potentially punishing people just for being poor.

>> I don't know what if we have a guess.

People who need help, who need benefits to experience poverty?

We certainly do more packing of them.

Then we do try to help them in my my view, these people need help.

They should not go hungry this bill encourages more of what people go hungry.

That's not something we should do.

That should never be a policy here in Kentucky.

I think we should have oversight.

>> Absolutely.

We should have accountability.

But never should we spend more money.

We're going to taking food off people's Table.

>> House Bill 7 was passed by the Senate.

24 to 12 with 4 Republicans crossing the aisle to join Democrats in voting against the bill.

When the welfare reform measure was called up for action in the House.

The original sponsor, House Speaker Pro Tem David Mead said further refinement of public assistance benefits is warranted.

He pointed to academic research that he says proves fraud and abuse in the system is evident.

>> As we have done gone through this and get the data gets to 6 and I have worked with the UK Gatton College of Business Comics have done several studies on this.

It is not simply just a small percentage of folks who have been.

Improperly enrolled their last statistics that they came up with an email they sent me last week.

Just say as that of those on Medicaid and properly, it would cost the federal government here in our state.

1.8, 6 billion dollars of the taxpayers of our state of Kentucky.

186 million dollars per year.

And Kentucky ranks started in the nation for the biggest increase in improper Medicaid enrollment since the passage of Affordable Care Act.

So Mister Speaker members of this body, you can see that we actually do have a major problem in this state.

>> Representative meets House Bill 7 was finalized tonight with a house vote of 72 to 20 now heads to the governor's desk.

The general Assembly passed a measure that would use funds awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve broadband access in rural parts of the state House bill.

3.15, appropriates 250 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan.

Act to fund improvements to the commonwealth's broadband infrastructure, Greensburg, Republican David Givens says the money is necessary to help improve Internet speeds.

He explained what areas will be eligible for help.

>> And the scoring preference is based in order on first regions with no service.

If you have no Internet service than speed really doesn't matter.

And we need to prioritize you getting service.

Secondly, we'd like for the grant funds to be used to serve those that are underserved and unserved again is defined as a super slow speed of 25 down 3 up.

That 3rd Truong touch or group of grant funds.

We'd like to target the underserved, which are individuals, businesses with speeds that are below 100 down 20 up.

The bill also allocates 20 million dollars to replace utility poles necessary for the broadband networks.

>> Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey agrees with Givens that the funds are necessary to help rural parts of the state.

But he has a wish list for other line, which he'd like to be added to the bill.

>> I would love to see us continue to discuss 3 things about this bill.

Number one, I would love to make sure that any contract entered into by the K for management of the state broadband fund be subject to the government contract Review committee.

It would be good to have that oversight.

Number 2, I think that making the 50% cap on support from state broadband fund cumulative.

So the maximum any app you can get would be 50% project costs, including both state and federal rule Digital Opportunity.

Fund monies received would be helpful.

Number 3, I think it's important to restore the PSC review of pledges by electric co-ops of their regulated assets to support broadband services.

>> House Bill 3.15 passed the Senate.

35 to one in our chair.

Chris McDaniel was the lone no vote in the Senate.

The House approved the bill.

It 2 to 0.

The General Assembly also sent 2 bills to the governor noted just how the state and ministers elections House Bill 5.64, and Senate bill to 16 HB 5.64.

Clarifies language on early voting locations and codified voting machines can't be connected to the Internet.

S p to 16 requires the state to transition to paper ballot backups by 2024.

Secretary of state Michael Adams has praised the Bills.

The attorney general would be the sole power broker among constitutional officers and challenges to the constitutionality of the Legislature's bills House Bill 2.48 would allow only the attorney general to use public funds to challenge or support a bill prohibiting the government from doing so.

Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer explained the rationale for the bill, but Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey says he doesn't support the change.

>> It applies to all state constitutional officers except the attorney general.

Who is the only statewide elected constitutional officer who's requirements for candidacy.

You are to be an attorney.

It does not apply to the Department of Public advocacy either.

It does not apply to expended funds in the defense of any action brought against a constitutional officer.

Section 18, one of the Constitution states unequivocally the governor shall take care of the laws that take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

To the extent that it is necessary to challenge the constitutionality of any act.

That is clearly the role of the attorney general and not the other constitutional officers.

>> It bars access to the courts.

It's guaranteed in Section 14 of the Kentucky Constitution.

It makes the a G the only defendant that can be named in any type of this It this is.

This is a bill that but I think severely limits what's happening in government.

The executive branch is just not the functional legislature.

It's not a good bill.

I don't think it's going to help House Bill.

2.48.

Pass the Senate.

28 to 8.

>> It was sent to the governor's desk.

That concludes our coverage of day.

58 of the 2022.

Kentucky General Assembly legislators will now break for the veto period.

The return to consider any vetoes by Governor Andy Beshear on April 13th.

We'll see you then.

April 13th at 11:00PM Eastern Time for legislative update for information about legislative meetings.

Call 1, 806, 3, 3, 9, 6, 5, 0, You can also far gavel to gavel coverage throughout the day by downloading KT legislative coverage app to your smartphone or tablet.

You can watch on our Kentucky Channel or follow along online at KITV Dot Org.

Thanks for watching.

Have a