Amid COVID-19 concerns, lawmakers tackle bills on abortion, booze and retirement

Kentucky lawmakers returned to Frankfort Thursday and handled several controversial bills, despite drive-by protests from members of the public who are banned from the Capitol as COVID-19 spreads.

The bills lawmakers advanced would broaden the attorney general’s authority over abortion laws, allow home shipment of alcohol, and split the ailing Kentucky Retirement Systems in half to give local governments their own pension board.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, defended the lawmakers’ work.

He said the legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget by April 15 and also will consider bills “aimed at aiding our economy, providing relief in the fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak, and other measures which have made their way through the legislative process.”

“Anything less than our best efforts to complete our work this session would be a dereliction of duty to the people who sent us to Frankfort to represent them,” Stivers said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee amended and sent to the full Senate House Bill 451, codifying the state attorney general’s authority to prosecute violators of abortion statutes.

Specifically, it would broaden the attorney general’s authority to seek civil and criminal penalties for all abortion law violators, beyond just seeking injunctive relief.

Alcohol shipped to your doorstep

The Senate approved on a 21-11 vote and sent to Gov. Andy Beshear for his consideration a bill that would let most Kentuckians get alcoholic beverages shipped to their front door.

Beshear has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign House Bill 415 into law, let it become law without his signature or veto it

Stivers, in a floor speech, said the bill is “about economic development.” He said it especially will be needed to boost the economy after COVID-19.

The bill would permit beer, wine and spirits to be shipped from licensed producers, such as distilleries and breweries, to consumers’ doorsteps. Only certain small farm wineries in the state can do that now. It would not apply to retailers.

This would include shipments coming in and out of the state as long as the producers are licensed. Producers could only distribute products at front doors under their names and only to homes in “wet” areas where alcohol can be sold.

The bill spells out volume limits that could be delivered.

It is not related to Gov. Andy Beshear’s recent emergency order that allows restaurants and bars to deliver alcohol in closed and sealed original containers during the coronavirus pandemic. Those purchases of alcohol must be incidental to the purchase of meals.

The Kentucky Retail Federation strongly opposes the bill, saying it would “create an unlevel playing field in the alcohol marketplace.”

Federation spokesman Steve McClain said the bill would give alcohol manufacturers the opportunity to sell the product for less than a retailer, who is required to use a wholesaler.

Splitting Kentucky Retirement Systems

Another bill that moved through the legislature Thursday was House Bill 484, which would split the ailing Kentucky Retirement Systems in half to give local governments their own pension board.

Presently, KRS manages pension and retiree health benefits for local governments and the state government. The Senate passed the bill with several amendments and sent it to the House, which approved the Senate’s changes and sent it to the governor.

Other bills handled Thursday included:

▪ House Bill 298, requiring Kentucky police departments to have training and regularly updated policies in place for high-speed pursuits. The Senate Committee on State and Local Government approved an amended version of the bill and sent it to the full Senate.

▪ House Bill 405, a proposed constitutional amendment that — if voters approved — would increase the term of office for circuit court clerks and commonwealth’s attorneys from six to eight years, starting in 2024; increase the term of office for county attorneys and district judges from four to eight years, starting in 2022; and increase the requirement for new district judges, starting in 2022, of having been a licensed attorney for eight years, rather than the present two-year rule.

The Senate Committee on State and Local Government approved the bill and sent it to the full Senate.

About five honking cars with upset drivers snaked around the Kentucky Capitol Thursday to protest lawmakers in session while the public cannot access the Capitol due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Save lives! Save democracy. No legislation without participation. GO HOME,” read a sign emerging from a window of one of the cars.

The action was sparked by Save Kentucky Democracy, a grassroots organization that speaks out on social issues.

“We tried to get more to participate but we learned that it’s hard to organize a protest by social media when there is a pandemic,” said David Horvath, a spokesman for the group.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 1:42 PM.