Lawmakers began the process of crafting a new state spending plan last week as House members met in budget subcommittees to begin gathering blocks of information they need to build a multi-billion-dollar budget. 

The subcommittees give legislators and the public a chance to hear direct testimony from state agencies on how bad the state’s financial situation is (or is expected to be) as the Commonwealth prepares to battle a nearly $1.5 billion shortfall predicted for the next two years. Information that is gathered by the subcommittees and by the full House budget committee will be used by lawmakers to meet the state’s heady budget challenges in the next budget cycle, which begins July 1.

Testimony heard in budget subcommittees and the full House budget committee also gives lawmakers an idea of what will be included in the governor’s proposed budget, which Governor Steve Beshear will unveil in his State Budget Address on Jan. 19. The House—where all bills that generate revenue must originate—can pass all, part or none of the governor’s plan, although it usually passes a hybrid bill that includes proposals from the House, Senate and the governor. By the time a budget becomes law, it has been changed many times to make it acceptable to most everyone involved.

The process of passing a budget that has bipartisan support usually takes several weeks. Passing a bill in a matter of days, especially this early in a regular session is a rare event. But that is what happened last Wednesday when the House gave final approval to a House education bill introduced just days ago that could bring as much as $250 million in federal funds to Kentucky’s education system over the next few years.

The House voted 95-0 to concur with Senate technical changes to House Bill 176, a bill passed by the House earlier in the week that would establish “intervention” options for turning around Kentucky’s failing schools while allowing the state to compete for federal school achievement and improvement funds totaling up to $250 million over four years. Lawmakers on Thursday hoped the bill, which has been sent to the governor for his signature and would become law immediately upon passage, would be signed into law no later than Friday so Kentucky could make a Jan. 19 federal deadline for the funding.

An education bill that would make it easier for Kentucky’s community college students to transfer credit hours to four-year programs at the state’s public universities came one step closer to passage when it cleared the House Education Committee last Tuesday. HB 160, which now goes to the full House for consideration, would institute a number of changes to help community college students earn their bachelor’s, including limiting the number of credit hours required for two-year and four-year degree programs in the state and prohibiting state universities from making community college graduates repeat or take additional courses within their major to earn a bachelor’s degree.

If passed into law, HB 160 is expected to help the state reach its 1997 goal of reaching the average number of bachelor’s degree holders nationally by 2020. Currently, about one in three Americans is expected to have a bachelor’s in 10 years.

The somber yet pervasive issue of domestic violence was also addressed by the House last week as members voted 97-0 to pass HB 1, named “Amanda’s Bill” in memory and honor of domestic violence victim Amanda Ross. Former state lawmaker Steve Nunn has been charged with the murder of Ross, who had dated Nunn and had a domestic violence order filed against him at the time she was shot and killed outside her Lexington home last fall.

Lawmakers hope HB 1 will protect victims like Ross by encouraging Kentucky courts to order GPS monitoring in Domestic Violence Order cases where an evaluation shows serious violence, injury or death is likely to occur without monitoring. Counties that buy or lease the monitoring devices—which would be paid for by those being monitored—could use them for pretrial release, pretrial diversion and probation as well as DVO cases. HB 1 now goes to the Senate for consideration. It would become law immediately if passed by both chambers and approved by the governor.

Kentucky’s military veterans are recognized for their sacrifices every session, either through honorary resolutions or statutory changes. Two bills that passed the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee last Wednesday would honor many veterans and their families in a couple ways: HB 14 would give limited free overnight stays at Kentucky State Parks to Kentucky’s disabled veterans, while HB 130 would waive fees required to probate the estate of regular members of the Armed Forces, firefighters or peace officers who die in the line of duty. Both bills now go to the House floor for consideration.

This is just a snapshot of the handful of bills that had progressed through the legislative process at the close of this 60-day session’s second week. By session’s end in mid-April, hundreds of bills will have worked their way through the House and Senate and become law. I look forward to tracking the progress of many of these bills with you as the 2010 Regular Session continues.

You can stay informed of action on bills this session by checking our website, www.lrc.ky.gov, or by calling the LRC toll-free Bill Status Line at 866-840-2835. To find out when a committee meeting is scheduled, check the website or call the LRC toll-free Meeting Information Line at 800-633-9650.

If you would like to share your comments or concerns with me or another legislator about a particular bill under consideration this session, please feel free to call the Legislative Message Line at 800-372-7181. You can also write to any legislator by sending a letter with your lawmaker’s name on it to: Legislative Offices, 701 Capitol Ave., Frankfort, KY 40601.