Senator Brandon J Storm: General Assembly Kicks Off Interim Period
The Commonwealth of Kentucky celebrated its 229th birthday on Tuesday, June 1. It also marked the first official day of the 2021 Interim of the Kentucky General Assembly.
The interim serves as a period for lawmakers to receive updates on implemented legislation, stay informed on various issues facing the Commonwealth, and prepare for the 2022 Regular Session, which begins next January. Here in Kentucky, we are considered a “part-time legislature,” but work for my colleagues and me is year-round.
COVID-19, its various impacts, and state and legislative responses to it over the last year and a half continue to demand state government’s attention. Of most importance, outside the direct health impact to our citizens, is how students and Kentucky’s youth have been affected during the pandemic.
During Monday’s meeting of the Interim Joint Committee (IJC) on Education, representatives from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and local school districts reported student participation, engagement, and intervention concerns during the pandemic. KDE data indicated some of the results of the reliance on virtual learning as schools were closed to in-person learning. Twenty-nine counties were randomly selected, as were two days and class periods, to get a snapshot of student participation. The results indicated that over 11 percent of students across elementary, middle, and high schools were not participating in online classes.
Superintendents from Shelby County and Fayette County commended the efforts of our teachers, who went above and beyond to mitigate the struggles of virtual learning. District personnel did their best to minimize the adverse impacts of the pandemic by connecting with families when and where they were, even if that meant connecting late at night, on weekends, or whenever working parents might be available. One superintendent reported that a teacher went as far as to buy groceries for a family that was quarantined with COVID-19.
A couple of things are clear from the testimonies given at this meeting. 1. In-person face-to-face learning is most beneficial for students, and 2. Teachers, parents, school staff, and educational leaders stepped up in a big way to make the most out of a bad situation. Information on learning gaps is expected to become available around September and October as assessment scores are reported.
As Vice-Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation, I have the privilege of serving as a member of the IJC on Transportation. During the first interim meeting of this committee, we welcomed Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray and other representatives from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) for an update on the implementation of REAL ID. It also included a summary of the expansion of regional KYTC offices and transportation-related Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. If you recall, I provided information related to REAL ID and regional offices in a recent column published in your local paper. I encourage you to review that column for details.
KYTC updated the committee on regional offices’ absorption of circuit court clerks’ licensing responsibilities. About ten counties continue to transition to regional offices each month, and all 120 counties’ licensing responsibilities will make the transition by June 30, 2022. Recordkeeping responsibilities will be maintained at our local circuit court clerks’ offices. The explanation given for the transfer of licensing responsibilities is that circuit clerks’ offices are not technologically equipped to meet the federal REAL ID law requirements. KYTC is trying to make the transition as smooth and convenient as possible by offering the renewal of licensing (with no substantive changes like name or address) online and bringing mobile/pop-up licensing offices directly into rural counties like ours during the year once the transition is complete. Other legislators from rural parts of our state and I have concerns about access to driver’s licensing renewals, and we asked questions about ways that those concerns will be addressed.
KYTC reported that ten regional offices would receive a mobile unit responsible for deploying to surrounding counties throughout the year in cooperation with local elected officials. We asked for an update on the online license renewal website, and we learned that the site should be up and operational within the next couple of weeks. One big concern we had and expressed to KYTC is the struggle some people have with accessing and using the internet. During the pandemic, the cabinet has allowed a renewal of licensing by mail. KYTC said that the mail-in option would end in July at the local Circuit Court Clerks’ offices. We encouraged KYTC to rethink its position on this and maintain a mail-in renewal option in the future. They indicated this is something that they will keep in mind.
During the meeting on Appropriations and Revenue (A & R), State Budget Director John Hicks and the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA) provided an update on broadband deployment. Through House bills 320 and 382, the Kentucky General Assembly established a program framework. Lawmakers allocated $250 million to expand internet access to unserved residents and underserved areas of our state and an additional $50 million for securing economic development opportunities for commercial and industrial customers. It was reported that Stage 1 of the project is expected to be released this month or next. Stage 1 includes KIA releasing a notice of intent to apply and determine the eligible unserved areas map. To help map the last mile of broadband deployment, an internet speed test website has been established. You are encouraged to visit educationcabinet.ky.gov/Initiatives/Pages/KBI.aspx, where you can take the speed test to help the state better determine the areas most in need of internet access or improvement.
Additionally, the A & R Committee received a visit from Sunrise Children’s Services. This organization has cared for children since 1869. It has contracted with the state since the 1970s, helping care for thousands of Kentucky kids in need. It is a faith-based organization that the state had long respected the religious convictions of, until recently when the contract language was changed unexpectedly. The language change is not compatible with the language that has allowed Sunrise to partner with the state for a half-century, spanning multiple administrations, both Republican and Democratic. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is attempting to require Sunrise to comply with a federal rule repealed in 2019. Five of the state’s constitutional officers have sided with Sunrise. They call for the administration to renew the contract and respect Sunrise’s First Amendment rights and the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Failure to continue the precedent of partnership puts children at risk unnecessarily. In the fiscal years 2020 and 2021 alone, Sunrise has served 1,636 Kentucky children and has assisted in finding loving homes for 588 of them.
The IJC on Judiciary meeting included a visit from Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr., who provided an update on the Judicial Branch. The Judicial Branch is utilizing legislative appropriations to make technology upgrades that will benefit citizens across the Bluegrass. As an attorney, I was pleased to hear about these efforts. One upgrade includes a significantly increased level of service to the public by creating a portal for self-representing litigants, allowing them to interact with the court and submit necessary documents. Other upgrade initiatives include implementing software to redact certain personally identifying information in electronic court records and establish self-service kiosks throughout the state. The technological updates would allow individuals who owe money to the court to pay court costs, fines, and more.
A meeting of the IJC on Natural Resources and Energy focused on recent concerns related to the cybersecurity of electrical utility infrastructure. Guests of the committee stressed the importance of protecting our electrical utility infrastructure from attacks and efforts being made to adversely affect it. A story related to the topic was the recent cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that forced operators to shut it down for several days, which tapped out service stations in some parts of the country. The news alone led to a degree of public hysteria in other areas where supply would not have even been impacted.
Additionally, the cabinet reported that the benefits of the CARES Act funding include maintaining public transportation, which helps get people to work. The funding also expands projects to improve the state’s infrastructure.
It is a true honor to represent Laurel, Jackson, Estill, Powell, Menifee, and Bath Counties in the Kentucky State Senate. If you have any questions about this issue or any other matter of importance to you, do not hesitate to contact my office toll-free by calling 502-564-8100. You can also email me at brandon.storm@lrc.ky.gov. Stay safe. God bless.
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Note: Senator Brandon Storm (R-London) represents the 21st District, which encompasses Bath, Estill, Jackson, Laurel, Menifee, and Powell Counties. Senator Storm serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, as well as Chairman of the Enrollment Committee. He is a member of the Interim Joint Committees on Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Local Government; State Government; Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology; and Transportation; and is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation. Sen. Storm is also a member of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee, the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee, and the Unemployment Insurance Reform Task Force.
- On June 7, 2021
