Week 4 of the 2022 legislative session found the Bluegrass Institute discussing school choice options with legislators, families and the general public. You can read more about our school choice efforts in leading Kentucky’s celebration of National School Choice Week in our newsletter. Don’t get our newsletter? You can sign up here.

This week, Senate Bill 88 passed through the Senate by a 28-9 vote. Similar to last session’s SB 181 that nearly passed, It would allow the General Assembly to reconvene up to 12 days in addition to the current constitutional requirements of regular session calendar days with a joint proclamation from the Senate president and House speaker.

Under current law, only the governor can call the General Assembly into a special session. However, legislators began discussing this proposal after Gov. Andy Beshear issued a barrage of COVID-19 executive orders mandating everything from masks to closing places of worship. Since the legislature was not in session, lawmakers had not constitutional authority to override or modify these executive-branch edicts. Should this measure pass the House and survive the governor’s inevitable veto, the proposal will be included on the November 2022 election ballot for voter ratification, following the process required to make changes to the commonwealth’s constitution. 

Additionally, a policy that would require at least 15 minutes of public comment at local school board of education meetings made its way through committee and will be considered on the House floor. Though most school districts allow for public comment, this codifies the rights of parents and community members to be heard on important issues such as taxation, curriculum and school choice.

Also this week, the deadline to file to run for office expired. You can see a full list of General Assembly candidates on the Secretary of State’s website.

The legislative update is comprised by Sarah May Durand, director of government affairs for the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions. She can be reached at sarahmaydurand@freedomkentucky.com.