FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky's General Assembly will reconvene in February for the second part of the legislative session. When they do, they'll have seven fewer bills to deal with because they passed them in the first eight days of the session.
Senate Bill 1 and 2
These bills have already gotten a lot of attention because they tackle Gov. Andy Beshear's COVID-19 orders and regulations. Senate Bill 1 limits the governor's emergency orders to 30 days. If he wants to extend an order, the General Assembly must be called in. Senate Bill 2 allows legislative committees to strike down a governor's emergency administrative regulations. Both bills are on Beshear's desk for consideration, and both are expected to be vetoed by the governor. However, the vetoes are expected to be overridden by republican lawmakers who hold supermajorities in both chambers.
This bill is commonly known as the "born alive bill." It requires doctors to take life-saving steps for any infant that survives a failed abortion or premature birth. A similar bill passed in 2020, but Gov. Beshear vetoed it, and lawmakers who had already adjourned their session could not override the veto.
This bill also deals with the pandemic. It allows schools and businesses to stay open during the pandemic if they follow guidelines from the CDC or the governor's office, whichever is less restrictive.
This was the first bill to receive final passage in 2021. It gives the Attorney General the new power to regulate and enforce violations on abortion clinics in Kentucky. Currently, the attorney general can regulate abortion clinics only with permission from the governor. So, this bill removes the governor from the process.
This bill allows lawsuits filed against the state or ones involving constitutional issues to be heard in the county where it is filed instead of Franklin County Circuit Court. Previously, this Court heard the bills because Franklin County is the location of Kentucky's state government.
This bill prohibits a governor from temporarily reorganizing state boards and commissions.
