(LEX 18) — Kentucky House Democrats laid out their new legislative platform on Tuesday. They're calling it "Kentucky Forward: A vision for our families."
"Families are at the center of every one of our bills,” Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson said. “Our proposals are also united by the fact that they are popular, affordable and deserve to be enacted this year.”
The platform focuses on five key areas: public education, household economics, healthy communities, workers’ rights and public safety and justice reform. Each area is centered on giving families more opportunities to succeed, democrats explained.
"We're fighting for public education. We're fighting for household economics, so you don't have to struggle to get by. We want our communities to be healthy," said Rep. Lindsey Burke. "We want workers to have rights and success and work. And we want public safety and justice reform."
"These bills move us closer to a Kentucky that works for all," said Stevenson. "To a Kentucky where every child is loved. To a Kentucky where families are thriving. To a Kentucky where everyone can be proud to say 'I'm a Kentuckian.'"
So, what do some of these bills do?
Democrats are calling for things like a five percent raise for public school employees and universal pre-K.
"More than half of incoming kindergartners aren’t ready when they first step into a classroom,” said Rep. Anne Gay Donworth. “Pre-K for all would help reverse that troubling trend while saving money for many families who are having a tough time with childcare costs.”
“While I am happy that many districts have boosted pay, we still have a long way to go to bring salaries up to where they should be. The schools don’t have the resources needed to do this, but the state does, given our significant budget reserves.”
The third education proposal in the new plan calls for fully funding mental health services in public schools.
“As a parent, I know children are under incredible stress, from social media to worrying about their very lives,” Donworth said. “It has been several years since the General Assembly called for a greater number of health professionals to tackle these and other issues. We believe our students should not have to wait another year.”
Some of the bills also address the "strain on families' pocketbooks."
“For a lot of families, finding and affording a home is their top concern,” said Rep. Joshua Watkins.
There is also a bill to protect Kentuckians facing utility shut-offs during extreme temperatures. There's another to make sure food and medicine are never subject to the sales taxes.
On to the topic of health, Democrats want to expand the list of qualifying conditions for Kentucky's medical marijuana program, cap costs on EpiPens, and provide a healthier environment for mothers and children.
The new platform also focuses on improving workers’ rights.
“Public support for unions is back at levels we haven’t seen in at least six decades, and that’s because many agree workers should have the right to unionize so that wages and benefits rise and more families can flourish,” said Rep. Adrielle Camuel.
“Our caucus also believes it is past time to raise the state’s minimum wage, so that more working Kentuckians have a livable wage," she added.
