As we convene the 2023 regular session, I would like first to wish you a happy new year. I hope your holidays were filled with joy and laughter while spending quality time with family and friends.

This 2023 legislative session kicked off on a storm-filled Tuesday with heavy rains and high winds. I hope you remained safe in your travels if you were on the roadways during this time.

Legislative sessions in odd-numbered years are known as ‘short sessions,’ consisting of 30 days, unlike the longer 60-day budget session, which occurs in even-numbered years. Short session years are intended to evaluate previously enacted policies and address any necessary legislative clean-up. As outlined in the Constitution of Kentucky, the General Assembly must gavel into session on the first Tuesday, following the first Monday in January, and adjourn after the first week for a constitutionally mandated break. We will reconvene on the first Tuesday in February and are required by the state constitution to adjourn by March 30.

The primary focus of week one in the Senate was to swear in our six new members, pass this year’s Senate rules, officially confirm committee assignments and introduce any critical legislation demanding immediate attention. Our newly elected members are Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro, Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, Lindsey Tichenor, R-LaGrange, Matt Deneen, R-Elizabethtown, and Gex Williams, R-Verona. They, along with each of us, took their oaths of office on Tuesday.

On Jan. 1, the first automatic reduction of our state income tax went into effect. The 2022 House Bill 8 outlined the framework by which the first half-percent was reduced automatically once specific economic triggers were reached, taking the commonwealth from a 5 percent to a 4.5 percent state income tax.  The reduction for the second 0.5 percent must be introduced like any other bill and be voted on by the General Assembly.

To continue down this path towards further income tax reduction, our House of Representatives introduced House Bill 1, which sets the rate for another 0.5 percent income tax reduction to 4 percent. It was voted out of the state House and moves over to the Senate for consideration. The bill is now in our care, and we will take prompt action on it when we return on Feb.  7.

House Bill 1 is significant in that this additional 0.5 percent reduction will leave anywhere from $600 million to $650 million in the pockets of Kentucky taxpayers and consumers. This is the next responsible step in reducing Kentuckians’ income tax to 0 percent which moves tax policy away from penalizing production and work to one based on consumption, leaving power in consumers’ pockets. When looking at states such as Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, you will find the economic successes of similar conservative tax policies at work. These states each experienced strong population growth according to 2020 Census data and are enjoying robust economies. This is what happens when residents have more money in their pockets to spend as they see fit.

Lastly, the senate approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 this week. The measure aims to establish a time-limited working group to collect data and address the recent horrific details we have recently heard relating to the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. It is our hope to bring stakeholders together during the constitutionally mandated break in this 30-day session, so we can collectively determine a better path forward to remedy this crisis.

There are many vital policy items to take care of in this session. Each proposed measure, be it mundane or headline-worthy, will receive the debate and deliberation the legislative process requires. Feel free to share your thoughts throughout the session. Find the status of legislation by calling 866-840-2835, legislative meeting information at 800-633-9650, or leaving a message for lawmakers at 800-372-7181. You can watch and follow legislative activity at KET/org/legislature and Legislature.ky.gov.