Jan. 7 marked the start of the 2025 Kentucky legislative session. The work that is done on the first day of session signifies the priorities of the legislature. Among these priorities include a proposal to require the Ten Commandments in all public K-12 classrooms, a reduction of the state income tax and a proposal to make water fluoridation optional.
Unsurprisingly, many of the proposed bills are similar, or even identical, to recently passed or proposed bills in other states. The Louisiana legislature recently passed a bill into law that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms. This law was recently blocked by a federal judge but was supported by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
According to the Lexington-Herald Leader, the proposal would also require a context statement that reads “The secular application of the Ten Commandments is clearly seen in its adoption as the fundamental legal code of Western Civilization and the Common Law of the United States.”
The proposal to reduce the state income tax is predicted to pass with little to no resistance from the legislature. “It‘s fairly simple. Everybody knows what it is, so when we return in February it would be the first thing that we take up in the Senate on the day we return… and send it to the governor soon thereafter,” stated Senate President Robert Stivers.
Two additional bills that have been filed have some health experts worried. Rep. Mark Hart has filed a bill that would allow local water districts to remove fluoride from their supply. While this measure would be good for local water district businesses, many dentists have raised concerns that removing fluoride from the water supply would worsen the dental health of many Kentuckians.
T.J. Roberts has proposed a bill that would bar local governments from restricting the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk. Many health experts have raised concerns that the sale of raw milk can cause outbreaks of foodborne illnesses amidst a rise in the popularity of raw milk.
Additionally, there are a number of bills and constitutional amendments being proposed to place various kinds of restrictions pertaining to the governor, also known as gubernatorial restrictions. These bills are part of an ongoing partisan struggle between the legislative Republican supermajority and Democratic governor Andy Beshear. Some of the notable proposals include a bill that would place “limitations on gubernatorial pardons as governors are leaving office” according to the Lexington-Herald Leader. Additionally, proposed House Bill 64 would invalidate Beshear’s most recent executive order which limited the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors in Kentucky.
New legislative measures can leave many Kentuckians feeling unheard by their representatives within the legislature, but constituents still have the ability to take action. Contacting your representatives is one of the most effective ways to ensure your voice is heard in the legislative process.
Lawmakers regularly rely on input from their constituents to gauge public opinion on proposed measures, whether it is to show support for initiatives you care about or to oppose policies you disagree with. By reaching out, you can influence decisions that directly affect your community, from public health and education to taxes and civil rights.
To contact your representative, you can visit their individual bio pages on legislature.ky.gov, or you can call the Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181.
To learn more about who your legislators are, you can visit: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/findyourlegislator/findyourlegislator.html
For more information on how to contact your legislator visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Pages/contactus.aspx
