SENATOR BRANDON STORM: JULY INTERIM UPDATE

Nearly two months of the 2021 Interim are on the books. The Kentucky General Assembly remains focused on pressing issues preparing for our return during the 2022 Regular Session next January.

Recent focus has turned back to increasing COVID-19 cases, most notably the “delta variant,” as the state is nearing an 8 percent positivity rate. Forty-five percent of the state’s residents were vaccinated when I submitted this legislative update. I encourage you to remain cautious and choose to take the necessary measures to protect yourself and those you love. If you are interested in obtaining a vaccination, visit vaccines.gov/search or kycovid19.ky.gov.

Special legislative committee meetings included several in which I serve as a member, such as the ICJ’s on Local Government, State Government, and Transportation. Another important meeting was the IJCs on Appropriations and Revenue (A&R).

First, during the IJC on Local Government meeting, members of law enforcement provided updates on the challenges they face. Testimony called for attention to the staggering shortage of officers. Our state and nation have endured a difficult past eighteen months. Tensions have been high, as bad actors in our streets have increased the rate of serious crimes. Meanwhile, law enforcement has endured excessive levels of criticism and even calls for defunding of departments. Defunding of law enforcement is not something I nor the majority of lawmakers will accept. Our law enforcement officers deserve our support and will continue to have it.

The IJC on State Government was presented Census data and how it will impact the biennial redistricting requirement. According to data provided, Bath, Laurel, and Menifee Counties population sizes increased 3—9%, Jackson and Powell County lost less than 3% of their population, and Estill County’s population size decreased 3—9%.

The emphasis during this meeting was on Judicial redistricting, which has not been done in Kentucky since the 1890s. Supreme Court of Kentucky Chief Justice, John Minton, noted that at that time, Kentucky had just its first governor, and the President of the United States was Grover

Cleveland. Judicial redistricting is overdue, and redistricting efforts will assure Circuit and District Court Judges will be distributed to areas of need.

On July 7, the IJC on A&R included a visit from the state budget director, who updated lawmakers on federal funding received in response to the pandemic. Most have heard of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. Still, in total, there were seven separate bills passed by congress that allocated funds to Kentucky. Those precious taxpayer dollars are now flowing through various state agencies after being prioritized by the lawmakers. During the previous legislative session, the General Assembly allocated about half of our Commonwealth’s federal funding. There is just over $1 billion more left to be distributed. We intend to remain as diligent in appropriating the rest of the funds as we were with the other half.

The General Assembly made notable investments with the first half of federal funding allocations. Lawmakers appropriated funds to grow the state “rainy day fund” to over $1 billion, expand broadband internet, pay off most of the $800 million federal unemployment insurance (UI) loan unilaterally taken out by the Governor’s administration, address water and wastewater needs, and much more.

An entire legislative update could be dedicated to an A&R committee meeting alone. I encourage you to find archived footage of the forum for more details. That is available at ket.org/legislature/archives.

I am pleased to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee during the Regular Session and as a member of the IJC on Transportation. The IJC on Transportation heard testimony from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Cabinet representatives detailed the challenge we face to meet our infrastructure needs. There are currently two billion dollars in maintenance needs. The problem is the continuing inflation of maintenance costs along with decreasing road fund revenues. The General Assembly has prioritized precious taxpayer dollars, restoring $180 million to the road fund that has historically been diverted. A program called Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow, also referred to as SHIFT, was initiated during the previous gubernatorial administration. It is a data-driven approach to prioritizing road fund dollars. The Senate had passed a bill to make SHIFT a statutory requirement, but it did not clear the other legislative chamber.

Other information gathered this past month includes an update on UI and the state road fund. The Governor’s administration informed the UI Task Force that it has chosen to scrap its last 16-month effort to update its unemployment system and restart bidding for a business to modernize it. Members of the legislature want to see relief for the thousands who continue to struggle to receive their UI claims. That is why the General Assembly allocated nearly $50 million to the executive branch for those upgrades. The Governor and his administration must consult with the legislature. We have stood willing to assist since the onset of the pandemic.

It is a true honor to represent Laurel, Jackson, Estill, Powell, Menifee, and Bath Counties in the Kentucky State Senate. I will continue to keep you updated on topics and policy discussions during the interim. If you have any questions or concerns, 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.

Senator Brandon Storm (R-London) represents the 21^st District, encompassing Bath, Estill, Jackson, Laurel, Menifee, and Powell Counties. Senator Storm serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, as well as 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; Transportation; and is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittees on Human Resources and 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.