NewsCovering Kentucky

Actions

Will The Special Session Happen?

Posted at 6:24 PM, May 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-31 19:35:23-04

FRANKFORT, Ky (LEX 18)– Governor Matt Bevin will not call the special session until he knows he has the votes needed to pass a pension reform bill, but lawmakers said they still don’t have that majority.

Now, time is running out, so what does that mean?

Experts say that it means on July 1st, regional universities, health departments, and quasi-governmental groups will face huge pension cost increases if nothing is done and the groups can’t afford it.

Governor Matt Bevin said he has the solution, his pension reform bill. He wanted it passed in a special session, however, he doesn’t have the votes for it right now. He wants lawmakers to figure it out, but some Republican lawmakers say that is on the governor. They say they already passed a bill to fix the problem, but the governor vetoed it.

Political scientists said if the groups can’t work together, people could get angry this July.

“When people see their premiums spike, they’ll get pretty angry. That’s when the public wakes up – when they’re feeling tangible benefits in their budgets and in their households. Since the Republicans control the state government, likely the Republican party will bear the backlash,” said Dr. Stephen Voss,  a Political Science professor at the University of Kentucky.

Lawmakers will need at least five days to get all this work done if they are following the state’s constitution.