The ACLU team had a busy week in Frankfort during the seventh week of the 2020 legislative session. Our team is always working in a number of issue areas. Below are some specific highlights about key pieces of legislation we are following and what our team accomplished the week of February 16 to February 22.
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
House Bill 67, Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment
HB67 would amend Kentucky's Constitution to ban abortion with no exceptions.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 20, 2020: Bill passed out of House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Bill is heading to full House for a vote.
SMART JUSTICE
HB1, Discriminatory Attack on Public Assistance
HB1 is an unnecessary and punitive bill that would discriminate against people with substance use disorders and harm Kentuckians struggling to get by on very little. Many proposals in HB1 violate federal guidance, regulations, and laws, and several are not operationally possible because there are no means by which to employ them.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 20, 2020: Bill passed out of House Health and Family Services Committee. Bill is heading to full House for a vote.
SB8, Armed Police in Schools
SB8 was signed into law by the Governor on Friday, February 21, 2020. This bill mandates that all school resources officers carry a firearm. Schools were already allowed to arm SROs with firearms if they wanted.
SB15, Marsy's Law
SB15 does nothing to help victims of crime and upends due process.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill passed out of Senate State and Local Government Committee. Bill is heading to full Senate for a vote.
SB58, Limit to Pardon Power
SB58 would limit pardon power, sometimes the only way to free an innocent person.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill passed out of Senate State and Local Government Committee. Bill is heading to full Senate for a vote.
HB361
HB361 would address dangerous overcrowding in Kentucky's jails and prisons, but does not go far enough.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill passed out of House Judiciary Committee. Bill is heading to full House for a vote.
HB322
HB322 would provide greater transparency and opportunity for accountability when law enforcement seize a person's property through asset forfeiture.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill passed out of House Judiciary Committee. Bill is heading to full House for a vote.
VOTING RIGHTS
SB2, Mandatory Voter ID Bill
SB2 would require all voters to have a government- or university-issued ID with a signature and expiration date. Laws like this deprive many voters of their right to vote, reduce participation, and stand in direct opposition to our country’s trend of including more Americans in the democratic process.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 20, 2020: Bill passed out of House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Bill is heading to full House for a vote, the last hurdle before getting to the Governor's desk.
SB62, 5-Year Wait for Restoration of Voting Rights
SB62 would require a five-year waiting period to restore voting rights to some Kentuckians with past convictions who have completed their full sentences, probation, and parole.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill passed out of Senate State and Local Government Committee. Bill is heading to full Senate for a vote.
LGBTQ Equality
SB90, Disrcriminatory Health Care Denial Bill
SB90 would allow healthcare providers to deny treatment to any person if the treatment violates the provider's conscience. This law most visibly targets LGBTQ people, but affects everyone.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 20, 2020: Bill passed out of Senate Judiciary Committee. Bill is heading to full Senate for a vote.
HB459, Trans Athlete Ban
HB459 is the second trans athlete ban filed this session. It would ban transgender students from participating on a team that does not match their biological sex at birth, and would also allow schools to force a genital exam or remove the student from a team if they believe the student is transgender. This is a heinous attack on some of Kentucky's most vulnerable kids.
NEW BILL ACTIVITY
February 19, 2020: Bill filed.
February 21, 2020: Bill assigned to House Education Committee.
Fairness Rally
We support Fairness Campaign at their annual LGBTQ Rally and Protest. Governor Beshear was the first sitting governor to attend the rally. Lawmakers from both parties joined supporters to promote statewide Fairness protections (HB225 and SB130) and a ban on conversion therapy (HB199 and SB85). Check out photos and more here.
VIEW THE FULL LIST OF BILLS WE ARE TRACKING AND TAKE ACTION.
