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Hello friends,

While many of us are still reeling and recovering from what some writers have described as a particularly “cruel” legislative session, those of us here in Louisville began this week to the devastating news of a mass shooting in our community.    The shooting was devastating for people across the city.  I honor the lives lost, the fast response of LMPD officers, and the way our community has come together to grieve over the past week.   The individual loss of life is a personal tragedy for the families and friends of the victims, and for our community as a whole.  The shooting itself – the 146th mass shooting in the US in 2023 – is yet another expression of the uniquely American public health crisis of gun violence.   As I write this, there have already been nine mass shootings in this country since Monday’s shooting in downtown Louisville.  Here’s something else I can’t get out of my mind: the knowledge that gun violence in our city and across our state is so prevalent that yesterday’s injuries were barely a blip on the screen for our beleaguered healthcare providers.  UofL Health’s Dr. Jason Smith confirms it in his heartbreakingly honest remarks. The trauma and exhaustion from serving on the front lines of the gun violence pandemic are evident in Dr. Smith’s plea for policy makers to “do something.”  Dr. Smith, I’ve heard you loud and clear, and I’m listening to all of you who’ve contacted me to address this epidemic with policy solutions.  I’m one of the Louisville Democratic lawmakers who signed on to our statement pledging to take action, and my record on sensible gun safety reforms is clear and strong.  Since serving in Frankfort, I’ve sponsored and co-sponsored bills for the kind of commonsense gun reforms that have been effective in other states, and that the vast majority of Kentuckians want.  These includes a “red flag” bill, or extreme risk protective order, to temporarily remove firearms from individuals at risk for harming self or other,  and a bill to allow individuals to place themselves on a voluntary do-not-sell-firearms list.  I’ve supported legislation that would allow Louisville and other municipalities to establish local gun safety ordinances, to require safe storage of firearms, to shore up background checks and waiting periods, and other commonsense reforms.  Meanwhile, the General Assembly’s supermajority has failed even to assign any of these public safety measures to committees, while instead enacting dangerous laws promoted by the gun lobby, including one passed in 2019 to do away with training or permits for concealed carry, and a law passed just this year to make Kentucky a “Second Amendment sanctuary state” that would prohibit Kentucky  from enforcing federal gun regulations.  Another bill that would have banned gun-free zones on college campuses passed out of committee, although it stopped short of coming to the House for a full vote.   These reckless actions can no longer be acceptable to any of us.  Kentuckians must continue to insist on a platform of change.  We can’t afford to be complacent about backward gun laws that endanger not only Kentuckians, but people in surrounding states whose lives are endangered by guns obtained in Kentucky.  Lives are literally at stake, and we must demand changes at the federal, state, and local levels.  The time is now for Kentucky’s supermajority to “do something” to protect us from gun violence, and  I remain committed to working with anyone who is willing to work in the best interests of Kentucky and Kentuckians.    Mental Health Resources Gun violence in our community can have a profound effect on our sense of safety and security, often creating anxiety, depression, and other mental health symptoms.  Here are some words of wisdom from several Kentucky mental health experts. The National Suicide and Crisis Hotline can be reached by calling 988.  In a local response to Monday’s shootings, Humana and the Humana Foundation announced an investment to bolster mental health resources in Louisville and helped establish a Community Crisis Support Line.  The line should be open 24/7 to anyone in the community and can be reached at 877-757-7587. By calling, individuals will receive professional emotional support and/or referral to community resources. In the Media Back to the cruelty of this year’s legislative session, here’s my op ed opposing SB150. (And here is a link to a paywall-free version.)  I submitted this piece prior to SB150 being vetoed, and having that veto overridden by the legislative super-majority.  SB150, dubbed the “worst anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+ bill in the country” by many civil rights advocates, is now the law in Kentucky.

Contact me… While this year’s legislative session has come to a close, we will be resuming interim committee meetings in June.  You can reach me by responding to this message, at my official email:  Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov , or by calling my Frankfort office and leaving a message for me at 502-564-8100.

In community, Lisa

Hello friends,

What a sad week in Frankfort, for people all across Kentucky, and for democracy.   The Marc Murphy cartoon above sums it all up pretty well. In what the Fairness Campaign’s Chris Hartman accurately called “an 11th hour cheap trick,” the Kentucky legislature presented and passed a last-minute amended version of Senate Bill 150. The original SB150 was arguably the least horrible of a series of horrible anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed this session.  The version the legislature passed on Thursday, however, is now a Frankenstein’s monster of a bill that is an anti-trans, anti-education, anti-mental health, anti-medical science, and anti-economic development bill all rolled into one. In the dirtiest of dirty tricks, the revised bill was voted on in a last-minute unscheduled meeting of the House Education Committee.  Fellow Democratic members of that committee and I received no notice of the meeting, and found out about it accidentally and indirectly, making it clear that we – and all the people we represent – were meant to be excluded.  (I was literally running to the committee room as the roll was called, and got there in time to shout “here” from just outside the committee room. A motion was made and seconded to approve the bill before the presenters said a word, and my and others’ questions to try and clarify what was in the version of the bill that we’d had no time to review were responded to dismissively.) It’s remarkable that with the majority party holding 80% of seats in the Kentucky House, they could still only pass this wretched bill by using dishonest tactics and flouting agreed-upon norms and the rules of open government. Senate Bill 150’s final version aligns Kentucky with states like South Dakota, Tennessee and Florida that have sought to erase trans kids entirely while undermining others in the LGBTQ+ community.  Advocates for mental health, public schools, civil liberties, healthcare, and LGBTQ+ rights have called SB 150 the “most extreme anti-LGBTQ+ bill in the country.” The bill would ban puberty blockers and other gender-affirming care; add significant liability risks for healthcare providers; erode student confidentiality; prohibit gender-affirming care by licensed mental health professionals working in school settings; allow schools to ignore a student’s preferred pronouns; ban sex education prior to middle school; prohibit health education for every grade level that includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; create an “opt-in” for sex ed at all grade levels.  And the bill includes language aligned with North Carolina’s misguided and notorious “so-called bathroom bill [that] sparked a nationwide backlash that wreaked havoc on the state, causing far-reaching political and economic damage,” according to NBC News. While Kentucky faces a critical teacher shortage, the bill creates new challenges and uncertainty for educators.  While we face a mental health crisis, particularly for young people, this legislation interferes with mental health services in schools and exacerbates the significant mental health risks already facing our kids, especially trans kids who are already at high risk for suicide. With Kentucky at the bottom of many health rankings, and with healthcare providers in too-short supply, the bill inserts politicians into private healthcare decisions and criminalizes the practice of medicine.  While the majority party has gutted Kentucky’s most reliable revenue source by adopting discredited tax policies, this bill puts Kentucky at even greater economic risk. Every major medical and mental health association opposes this legislation.  Teacher and education groups oppose this legislation.  Leaders in the business community oppose this legislation.  The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled organizations pushing this agenda as hate groups.  As I said on the House floor when we debated an earlier version of this bill (HB470), “We are making public policy that affects every Kentuckian based on the agenda of known hate groups. That’s not just wrong, it’s downright terrifying.” While the General Assembly dedicated a massive chunk of time to the proposals in Senate Bill 150, we somehow could not find a fraction of that same energy to address Kentucky’s number one ranking in child abuse or to mitigate maternal and infant mortality rates that are among the worst in the country. Demonstrating compassion and political courage that is all-too-rare in Frankfort, Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass issued a statement on Friday: “The Kentucky legislature is following a terrifying, but sadly well-trodden path. In the long run, history does not reflect well on such regimes. And in the short-run, we should all be concerned about who will be their next target.”  Dr. Glass ended his statement on a hopeful note, announcing that the Kentucky Department of Education will host a summit in support of LGBTQIA+ people and youth later this year. “Our focus will be on resilience, connection and hope,” he said. I take heart from his closing words.  As we continue the battle for civil rights, for reason, and for fundamental human dignity, my hope for those of us on the right side of history is that we remain resilient, build on our connections, and spread hope that, in the end, love will win. For now, if you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text the national mental health crisis hotline at 988, or visit The Trevor Project‘s help line.

Contact me… As always, thank you to those who’ve contacted me throughout the legislative session.  We are on a veto recess now, and will be back to finish up this year’s brutal session on March 29 and 30. To reach me, you can respond directly to this message, and my official Frankfort email is Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov.  The phone number to leave messages for me or any other legislator is 800-372-7181.

Sending love and light in challenging times, Lisa

Dear Friends,
Having passed the halfway mark for the 2023 legislative session, only three bills have passed both chambers and become law so far:

House Bill 1 uses temporary revenue gains from federal dollars to make permanent tax cuts that will likely be debilitating down the road by preventing adequate investment in public education, public health, public safety, and other crucial services. (I voted no.)  House Bill 2 will help build Kentucky’s fifth veterans-only nursing home in Bowling Green.  (I voted yes.)  Senate Bill 10 was a non-controversial “clean-up bill” that made technical corrections to a business-related measure regarding registration of professional employer organizations.  (I voted yes.)

While it’s still too early to know what other bills will become law this session, we have now passed the filing deadline for new bills and have a better idea of what to expect. As of the deadline, nearly 900 bills were filed in the House and Senate, and about 60 have passed one of those chambers.

Two prominent bills that passed the House this week were HB146 and HB153.

HB146 rolled back a portion of the damage enacted in last year’s draconian HB4 that severely limited unemployment insurance benefits for Kentuckians who lost work through no fault of their own.  HB146 replaced a portion of what was taken away last year, allowing those eligible to receive a maximum of 16 weeks of benefits rather than the current 12.  It’s important to note that for 80 years prior to 2022’s HB4, Kentuckians were able to receive benefits for up to 26 weeks.

Even if HB146 becomes law, many Kentuckians will still have less time than in the past to get back on their feet and less chance to find a job in their field, putting their family incomes at greater risk.  That is especially likely for those living in rural areas or who lose their jobs mid-career or closer to retirement age.  Even though HB146 doesn’t undo all the damage done last year, I voted yes because it does mitigate some of the harm.

While HB146 lessens potential harm to Kentuckian, HB153 does just the opposite.  This misguided bill calls for Kentucky to effectively opt out of any federal efforts to rein in gun violence.  Specifically, the bill would bar local and state law enforcement agencies from enforcing any federal firearms restriction that has been enacted or re-interpreted since 2021.  There are real concerns about the constitutionality of a measure like HB146, and the bill has the potential to put our police officers in a precarious position in working with or obtaining funding from federal law enforcement.  With headlines dominated by mass shootings, and gun violence plaguing our own community, I spoke against this bill on the House floor and voted no.

A preview of likely coming attractions…

Reforms to Kentucky’s juvenile-justice system.  I wrote at some length about this in last week’s update, and in case you missed it, here’s my op ed with my colleague Rep. Keturah Herron. Juvenile justice-related bills have yet to come for a vote, but that could change any time. 

 Legalizing sports betting and medical marijuana.  The House passed versions of both last year, and there’s increasing hope that the Senate will finally sign off this year.  We’re among a small minority of states that haven’t adopted either, even with polling showing that Kentuckians overwhelmingly support both.  I support both of these initiatives, along with de-criminalizing cannabis.

 “Gray games,” the name given to slots-like machines found in many small businesses such as convenience stores and bars.  Supporters say these are games of skill, that they are a form of much-needed passive revenue for many mom-and-pop businesses, and that they should be regulated and taxed. Churchill Downs, the primary operator of slot machines in casino-like businesses across the state, opposes the competition from these machines and is pressing for a ban. 

Harmful anti-LGBTQ+ bills.  These dangerous bills pose a real threat to the health and well-being of trans and non-binary kids.  Efforts to advance “don’t say gay” bills, ban library books, and criminalize gender-affirming healthcare are being used as ammunition in a culture war without regard for the lives of the people who are harmed by politically-fueled rhetoric.  Supporters are spending an inordinate amount of time attacking trans kids who are asking for nothing more than respect and the ability to live their lives with integrity.  I oppose these bills with every fiber of my being, and I’m filled with gratitude for the large number of district 35 friends and neighbors who have reached out to express their opposition to these efforts.  

To contact me
If you’d like to contact me about these or any other bills or topics, you can email me at Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov. You can also leave a message for me or any other legislator by calling 800-372-7181 during normal business hours.

In community,
Lisa 

Dear Friends,
Having passed the halfway mark for the 2023 legislative session, only three bills have passed both chambers and become law so far:

House Bill 1 uses temporary revenue gains from federal dollars to make permanent tax cuts that will likely be debilitating down the road by preventing adequate investment in public education, public health, public safety, and other crucial services. (I voted no.)  House Bill 2 will help build Kentucky’s fifth veterans-only nursing home in Bowling Green.  (I voted yes.)  Senate Bill 10 was a non-controversial “clean-up bill” that made technical corrections to a business-related measure regarding registration of professional employer organizations.  (I voted yes.)

While it’s still too early to know what other bills will become law this session, we have now passed the filing deadline for new bills and have a better idea of what to expect. As of the deadline, nearly 900 bills were filed in the House and Senate, and about 60 have passed one of those chambers.

Two prominent bills that passed the House this week were HB146 and HB153.

HB146 rolled back a portion of the damage enacted in last year’s draconian HB4 that severely limited unemployment insurance benefits for Kentuckians who lost work through no fault of their own.  HB146 replaced a portion of what was taken away last year, allowing those eligible to receive a maximum of 16 weeks of benefits rather than the current 12.  It’s important to note that for 80 years prior to 2022’s HB4, Kentuckians were able to receive benefits for up to 26 weeks.

Even if HB146 becomes law, many Kentuckians will still have less time than in the past to get back on their feet and less chance to find a job in their field, putting their family incomes at greater risk.  That is especially likely for those living in rural areas or who lose their jobs mid-career or closer to retirement age.  Even though HB146 doesn’t undo all the damage done last year, I voted yes because it does mitigate some of the harm.

While HB146 lessens potential harm to Kentuckian, HB153 does just the opposite.  This misguided bill calls for Kentucky to effectively opt out of any federal efforts to rein in gun violence.  Specifically, the bill would bar local and state law enforcement agencies from enforcing any federal firearms restriction that has been enacted or re-interpreted since 2021.  There are real concerns about the constitutionality of a measure like HB146, and the bill has the potential to put our police officers in a precarious position in working with or obtaining funding from federal law enforcement.  With headlines dominated by mass shootings, and gun violence plaguing our own community, I spoke against this bill on the House floor and voted no.

A preview of likely coming attractions…

Reforms to Kentucky’s juvenile-justice system.  I wrote at some length about this in last week’s update, and in case you missed it, here’s my op ed with my colleague Rep. Keturah Herron. Juvenile justice-related bills have yet to come for a vote, but that could change any time. 

 Legalizing sports betting and medical marijuana.  The House passed versions of both last year, and there’s increasing hope that the Senate will finally sign off this year.  We’re among a small minority of states that haven’t adopted either, even with polling showing that Kentuckians overwhelmingly support both.  I support both of these initiatives, along with de-criminalizing cannabis.

 “Gray games,” the name given to slots-like machines found in many small businesses such as convenience stores and bars.  Supporters say these are games of skill, that they are a form of much-needed passive revenue for many mom-and-pop businesses, and that they should be regulated and taxed. Churchill Downs, the primary operator of slot machines in casino-like businesses across the state, opposes the competition from these machines and is pressing for a ban. 

Harmful anti-LGBTQ+ bills.  These dangerous bills pose a real threat to the health and well-being of trans and non-binary kids.  Efforts to advance “don’t say gay” bills, ban library books, and criminalize gender-affirming healthcare are being used as ammunition in a culture war without regard for the lives of the people who are harmed by politically-fueled rhetoric.  Supporters are spending an inordinate amount of time attacking trans kids who are asking for nothing more than respect and the ability to live their lives with integrity.  I oppose these bills with every fiber of my being, and I’m filled with gratitude for the large number of district 35 friends and neighbors who have reached out to express their opposition to these efforts.  

To contact me
If you’d like to contact me about these or any other bills or topics, you can email me at Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov. You can also leave a message for me or any other legislator by calling 800-372-7181 during normal business hours.

In community,
Lisa 

Dear Friends,

 The General Assembly resumed the 2023 legislative session early last week after a constitutionally required recess.  The result of our four working days was both historic and relatively quiet.

On Thursday, the House voted unanimously to impeach Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Goldy Jr. for prosecutorial misconduct.  This was only the fifth impeachment in Kentucky’s 231-year history. The House is the only body legally able to initiate removing this prosecutor from office, although others have acted to discipline Mr. Goldy as well.  In 2022, the Kentucky Supreme Court suspended him from practicing law law for misuse of the office, and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Association dropped him as a member.  While Mr. Goldy has announced his resignation, the state Senate can still conduct a trial to keep him from holding this office again if found guilty.

Beyond that momentous vote, the House did not take any action on bills last week, although two approved last month – HB 1and HB 2  – cleared the Senate on Wednesday and are now on Governor Beshear’s desk awaiting his approval or veto.

House Bill 2 budgets $16.6 million to construct a new veterans nursing home in Bowling Green, and passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. I was proud to support that legislation. 
 
I strongly opposed House Bill 1 because its income-tax cuts are tilted heavily toward the wealthiest Kentuckians with little to no benefit for the rest, and because of the lasting damage the tax cut will have on our state’s ability to make long-term investments in education, healthcare access, and other vital public programs and services.   And because of newly imposed sales taxes to offset a portion of the revenue loss from reducing the income tax, many Kentuckians will actually end up paying more, not less, under this upside-down tax re-structuring plan.  (In case you missed it, here’s my recent op ed on HB1.) 

Revenue losses from HB1 also ignore the fact that we still have not adequately addressed long-term challenges like teacher shortages, which was the focus of last Tuesday’s House Education Committee.  In his presentation to that committee, KY Education Commissioner Jason Glass noted that the foundation of Kentucky’s teacher shortage boils down to deficits in “pay, support, and respect.”  While the legislature has the ability to significantly improve all three during this legislative session, we are instead seeing ongoing efforts to politicize Kentucky classrooms  through “don’t say gay” bills, and legislation targeting trans kids. These and other harmful bills strongly suggest that little will be done to help the teaching profession or improve conditions and outcomes for students this year.

Children’s Advocacy Day

In more encouraging news, the annual “Children’s Advocacy Day” occurred last week in Frankfort.  I was deeply honored to be recognized by Kentucky Youth Advocates as a 2023 “Champion for Children” because of my work to “raise awareness and advance children’s mental health.”
 
Other Bills
I’ve filed a number of bills this session.  Here are just a few highlights of some of the work I’ve been doing in Frankfort so far this session…

House Bill 142  –  I was honored to meet with dozens of high school students from Louisville’s Mercy Academy who were in Frankfort last week to advocate for a number of bills, including HB 142, my bill to remove the sales tax from period products.  The students had done their research, and were able to speak about the importance of this bill from the perspectives of economic and gender justice, the impact on physical and mental health, and school/work absenteeism.  At its core, HB 142 is a bill about fundamental fairness. 

The students’ visit to Frankfort and our work together on the bill was highlighted in several news stories:  

     WAVE3: https://www.wave3.com/2023/02/08/louisville-high-schoolers-lobby-end-feminine-hygiene-sales-tax/
     WLKY: https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-lawmaker-frankfort-no-pink-tax/42804714
     WDRBNews: https://www.wdrb.com/news/wdrb-video/mercy-academy-students-lobby-against-sales-tax-on-feminine-products-in-frankfort/video_115f442e-f78b-537f-93c0-801ac5ae7098.html
     WHAS11: https://www.whas11.com/article/news/community/kentucky-lawmaker-students-advocate-removing-sales-tax-feminine-hygiene-products/417-75339a8f-2fa8-410f-92dd-d1dfb5485b6b
     The Kentucky Lantern

(In a recent WKYT survey, 92% of respondents supported this initiative, with only 8% opposing!)

HB161  – Speaking of students, it has been a real privilege to work with the Kentucky Student Voice Team to craft legislation that would add student representation to every Kentucky public school board.  The bipartisan bill was featured in a recent Courier-Journal article about a trio of bills designed to elevate and amplify student voice.  

HB66 – This bipartisan bill would limit the times and conditions when public utility companies can shut off gas and electricity, providing guardrails to keep struggling or medically fragile Kentuckians in their homes.  I’m grateful to Louisville Metro Council Member Jecorey Arthur and the other members of metro Council for their support of a resolution to support our bill.  HB 66 is also endorsed by the National Association of Social Workers Kentucky Chapter (NASW-KY), and every other social work organization across the state.  You can read or listen to more about it here, from Louisville Public Media.  

To contact me
If you’d like to contact me about these or any other bills or topics, you can email me at Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov. You can also leave a message for me or any other legislator by calling 800-372-7181 during normal business hours.

In community,
Lisa 

Dear Friends,
 
Happy New Year! 
 
I’m grateful to the voters of the new 35^th district for the trust they’ve placed in me by electing me to represent them in Frankfort for another 2-year term.  As I have since first taking the Oath of Office in 2019, I will continue to work hard, listen to your concerns, and represent your values. 
 
The 2023 legislative session begins tomorrow, January 3^rd.  When the General Assembly returns to the Capitol tomorrow, it will be just the 12^th time in the modern era that it has met in an odd-numbered year to pass laws.
 
Voters made these odd-year legislative sessions possible by a constitutional amendment passed in 2000. Prior to that time, odd-year sessions lasted only for four days and were used solely to swear-in newly elected legislators, choose House and Senate leaders and establish committee memberships for the next two years.
 
Much of that work is still finalized in the same way today, but the remaining days of the odd-year “short sessions” are similar to those held in even-numbered years, with a few key differences.  During odd-year sessions, legislators meet for 30 instead of 60 days, and there is about a three-week gap in January where we return home before completing the bulk of our work in February and March.
 
The most significant difference is that bills affecting state spending during the legislature’s short session require support of three-fifths of the House and Senate instead of a simple majority.  This is largely to preserve the two-year budget process that state government still maintains.
 
It is too soon, of course, to say what will become law when the General Assembly begins meeting, but legislative leaders have promised a more deliberative pace than we have seen over the past several sessions.  Even so, there will still be hundreds of bills filed and dozens debated in committee and on the House and Senate floor.
 
Keeping track of this legislation is relatively easy in one sense but difficult in others, especially during a session’s final days. 
 
On one hand, you can check the general status of a bill by calling 866-840-2835 during normal business hours, and the number to find out the time and place of legislative committee meetings is 800-633-9650.  And the General Assembly’s website – legislature.ky.gov – is another great resource that features this information as well as the full text of legislation and House and Senate votes.
 
Unfortunately, the process is not nearly as transparent as it should be when votes are happening quickly; indeed, it can be tough for many legislators, much less the public, to stay current.  I will do my best to keep you informed. 
 
KET makes it possible to see many of our House and Senate meetings in real time, and those videos are always available in the online archives kept by the station, which also has a smartphone app you can download.  To learn more, visit the KET website: www.ket.org.
 
The General Assembly also has a YouTube channel for those committee meetings not covered by KET.  You can find it by searching for “Kentucky LRC streaming.”
 
In the upcoming session, I’ll be serving on the House Education, Children and Families, and Health Services Committees, as well as the budget review sub-committee for Health & Family Services.   
 
If you would like to let me know your thoughts or concerns about legislation, you can email me at Lisa.Willner@lrc.ky.gov, and you also can leave a message for me or any other legislator (or all of us) by calling 800-372-7181, or 866-840-6574 for the Spanish language message line.  You can also request to be connected directly with my Frankfort office by calling 502-564-8100.  
 
 I will keep you updated about our work in the weeks ahead through periodic emails like this one, and more frequently through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaforkyhouse and Twitter: @lgwillner.
 
Every contact I have with constituents like you helps me tremendously, and I’m always grateful for your engagement  Please don’t hesitate to reach out early and often, because that is the true foundation of the legislative process.
 
With wishes for all the best in 2023, 
Lisa