Kentucky lawmakers gaveled in and gaveled out of their first week of the 2025 lawmaking session in the state capitol.

The second part of the session will resume in February.

Our June Leffler has this wrap up on what lawmakers said and did on week one And tonight's legislative update.

Tuesday, lawmakers convened for the first day of the 2025 regular legislative session.

They've already filed more than 200 bills that may or may not become law.

One bill got special treatment this week.

House Bill one would reduce the state income tax from 4% to 3.5% at the start of next year.

Republicans have chipped away at the income tax the past few years.

We now have a choice Do we spend money or do we work harder towards reducing taxes?

The tax bill sprinted through the House this week.

Democrats caution the move could shrink what comes into state coffers.

But many sided with Republicans in the end.

Kentucky is a poor state.

We are not going to tax our way to prosperity.

That makes House Bill one the first bill this session to advance through one chamber.

The Senate can pass it after break.

Republicans enjoy supermajorities in both chambers, 80 seats in the House and 31 in the Senate.

The general election did not change those numbers.

A unified Republican front can make short work of legislation.

Democrats can negotiate and air their grievances in chambers.

The Republican leadership made rules to limit lengthy debate, essentially.

Mr.. Mr. President, to gag the members of this body.

I think that's inappropriate.

I don't think we should ever allow that to occur.

This chamber.

The Chair doesn't even have to recognize members.

But I have yet to see a time that I have failed to recognize any member.

The leader of the minority party, Governor Andy Beshear, got to tout Kentucky's successes like jobs, drinking water and Internet access during his fifth state of the Commonwealth address.

Though Republicans that controlled the budget say they deserve much of that credit.

Another win for Beshear and Democrats is voters take down of a ballot measure that could have diverted public funds to private schools.

In November, Kentucky and soundly rejected amendment to the message was clear that public dollars are for public schools.

And look, it wasn't even close.

Amendment two was rejected in every county and by over 30 points statewide.

That's what you call a mandate, a mandate to prioritize public education.

It's perfectly understandable and appropriate that the governor takes a victory dance on Amendment two.

I am a little bit, I guess, puzzled by the continued assertions that we are somehow defunding education, which everybody knows that we continue to fund education at record levels.

Beshear implored the legislature to do right by Kentuckians.

What power the governor has during a session is limited to his pulpit and veto, though that can be overridden with the sizable Republican supermajor charities.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you.

June the second part of the session will start back up on February 4th.

Since this is an odd numbered year, this is a short session.

It's 30 days instead of the 60 day session in even numbered years.