Abused puppies and the ‘super-duper-majority.’ Good bills in Frankfort aren’t getting heard.
State Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, D-Lexington, has been working for the past two years on what’s known as a “cost of care” bill that among other things, would require the owners of animals seized in cruelty cases to be financially responsible for their upkeep during the criminal case.
That’s pertinent in cases like a recent one in Breckinridge County, where the county animal shelter has been caring for about 40 dogs seized from a suspected puppy mill case that’s been going on for a year. It’s cost the Breckinridge County Animal Shelter about $80,000 so far.
House Bill 100 would, along with Ethan’s Law or House Bill 57, add some more heft to Kentucky’s generally weak animal protections laws, which have left it ranked 47th in the country for years.
“Our animal community desperately needs this to happen,” Stevenson said. “It’s not fair that these agencies, taxpayers are bearing the brunt of these animals.”
But House Bill 100 is no longer sponsored by Stevenson. Its chief sponsor is now Rep. Kim Banta, a Republican from Northern Kentucky.
“I want good things for Kentuckians and I believe this is a great bill for animals, but it became clear the bill wasn’t going to move with me as the sponsor,” Stevenson said. “Because I want good policy, she and I filed the paperwork to make her the sponsor in hopes of the bill being heard in committee.”
Elections have consequences, and statehouse Democrats are finding out just how many now that Republicans have a “super-duper-majority” in the House and Senate. So far this session, no bill sponsored by a Democrat has been heard in committee in the House. In the Senate, one bill sponsored by a Democrat— Sen. Denise Harper Angel’s SB 52 — passed out of committee earlier this month.
House leadership did not respond to a request for comment. But it’s safe to say that not assigning Democratic bills to committees is organized and purposeful.
Turnabout is fair play, of course. From all accounts, when Democrats were in charge, they did the same thing to Republicans, especially in the House.
But as Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport, points out: “Two wrongs don’t make a right. Good legislation is good legislation, no matter what letter is next to your name.”
She has been working on House Bill 81 since it was brought to her last year by a constituent, but says she now thinks it will have to be passed off to a Republican to get a hearing. The bill would basically ban the idea that there can be consensual sex between a law enforcement officer and someone in custody, making any such event a charge of third degree rape. It’s the companion bill to Harper Angel’s bill, the one Democratic bill to pass the Senate so far, helped by co-sponsor Whitney Westerfield, the Senate Judiciary chairman.
“There seems to be more flexibility in the Senate,” Roberts said, “whereas in the House whatever old grudges there are seem to be stopping everything. This pettiness is not serving the people who elected us.”
Neither Stevenson nor Roberts care about who gets the credit.
“If it needs to go into the hands of Republican to get passed, I’m fine with that,” Roberts said. “But people should understand that’s what happening.”
Most people think Kentucky should do better on animal protection, and we can certainly agree that police officers shouldn’t rape people in custody. Kentucky is facing so many unique challenges right now, you’d think Republicans would want all hands on deck with good ideas to help. Surely we should be thinking of ways to get more good legislation through, not how to stymie it or make sure they pass political purity tests first?
The Republicans have flexed their muscles this session with their priority legislation aimed at stopping Gov. Beshear, undoing COVID restrictions and adding more abortion restrictions. Those are the consequences for Democrats. But having accomplished that, could they not take a bigger tent approach? For example, many Kentuckians generally agreed that after Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in her home that no-knock warrants needed to be banned. But Rep. Attica Scott’s bill on the matter, also known as Breonna’s Law, has never even been discussed.
Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, the Senate Minority Leader, says it’s important to remember that the House has had turnover of more than 60 members since 2016, plus elections every two years, so there is a much different dynamic than the Senate. Representatives may not know each other as well, or know exactly who they need to talk to to get their bills on a good path forward.
“But a good idea for legislation is a good idea and if it’s worked on by Democrat, it should get the same consideration,” he said. “If this is the way the Democrats handled things when they were in power, it was wrong then as well.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 11:20 AM.
