Only Days Left to Act: GA Week 6
KCC Updated List of House Bills to date here
KCC Updated List of Senate Bills to date here
To act on bills: Once you read through our detailed bill lists linked above, you may call the Legislative Message Line (1-800-372-7181) from 7AM-9PM M-TH and 9AM-6PM on Fridays, or email your lawmakers anytime to comment on the bills. Note where the bill currently resides to direct your comments. Bills will be changing quickly now in these final weeks…Sign Up for Text Alerts for when bills need fast action
Highlights of the Week Ending 3/10
This Friday saw the conclusion of day 24 of the 30-day legislative session. Lawmakers now have four more days before the Governor’s veto period begins, and then lawmakers return for two days on March 29-30 to complete their work. We appreciate your tolerance during these “short” sessions when it seems like alerts are pounding on the same few bills from the hundreds we review. These are usually a small number moving from chamber to chamber quickly or are being amended frequently and will have the most impact to our environment.
In the news: This past week, we hope you were able to catch KCC on the Progress Kentucky podcast where we talked about House Bill 236 (the attack on socially responsible investing) or the WKMS article on House Joint Resolution 79 (nuclear power working group). While we certainly had our hands full with state legislation this week, KCC has also been an advisor to Senator Markey and Rep. Huffman’s federal legislation to address cryptocurrency energy consumption as well, and introduced last week.
High Priority: Not Much Time Left to Act
Senate Bill 226 (KCC Strong Oppose) Reducing the pollution threshold for water quality. Lowers the threshold to allow permittees to discharge pollutants into outstanding state resource waters and does not fully account for the impacts to in stream water quality. This bill would take away the authority of the Governor to deny a certification if the certification will not be in the best interests of the environment and the people. ACT: Email or call the House to oppose 1-800-372-7181.
Senate Bill 4 (Strong Oppose) Retiring fossil fuel plants. This is a tug-of-war between the legislature and utilities on this bill, which would slow down the retirement of older, dirtier and less efficient fossil fuel plants. Senate Floor Amendment 2 added several problematic provisions last week, limiting the use of financial incentives offered by federal agencies as a factor to retire a plant. ACT: Contact your House members and “House Leadership” and tell them you “oppose government overreach within Senate Bill 4 that will impact reliability and affordability of our utilities.” Email or call 1-800-372-7181.
House Bill 4 Merchant Generation/Solar Farms. (Ask for better protection of farmland) .
This is legislation attempts to set guidance on construction, siting, bonding, and decommissioning of large scale “merchant” solar generating facilities, but the details favor developers over farm property owners. ACT: Contact Senate and "Senate Leadership"- Tell them you want stronger protections for land owners. Email or call 1-800-372-7181.
House Bill 236 (Strong Oppose) Attack on Environment/Social/Governance Investing (ESG). A pushback on “fossil fuel divestment” — attacking companies who incorporate responsible environmental or social factors as part of their investment risk strategies. If this passes, it will encourage even more micromanaging on “politically sensitive” boycotts such as those referenced in HB533 (guns, agriculture, social media, petrochemicals). ACT: HB236 has passed the House and is now posted for final passage in the Senate for Monday late afternoon, Contact the Senate to Oppose. Email or call 1-800-372-7181.
House Bill 264 (Strong Oppose) Regulatory ‘Sandbox.’ Creates an “Office of Regulatory Relief” tasked with identifying state laws and regulations, including environmental regs, that could be waived for certain "innovative" businesses for a one-year period. ACT: Is posted for passage in the Senate. Contact the Senate to Oppose. Email or call 1-800-372-7181.
Other Bills On the Move this week
Senate Bill 192 (Monitor) Utility Securitization. This bill passed the Senate, 35-0, which allows an investor-owned electric utility to apply for financing through securitization for extraordinary costs and costs associated with the retirement of electric generation assets. The bill is now in the House Natural Resources & Energy Committee.
House Joint Resolution 76 (Support with Changes) State Park Funding. This resolution would direct the Office of State Budget Director to release $150,000,000 capital construction funds for improvements to Kentucky's state parks as appropriated in 2022. House amendments only provided $66,000,000 of the $150,000,000, however that was an increase from the previous week, so your calls made a difference. ACT: Tell Senate Appropriations & Revenue you support the release of the full allocated funds.
Senate Joint Resolution 79 (Monitor) Nuclear Workgroup. The resolution passed the Senate and has had one reading in the House. See article here.