By Teddy Edmonds
State Representative
D-Jackson
Week of
January 30, 2012
FRANKFORT – It’s been a busy week in Frankfort. There was a lot of work – and a little play – in the state House of Representatives this week.
A bill that would alter the makeup of school-based decision making councils in Kentucky’s local school districts passed the full House. If passed into law, HB 89 would require that at least one of the two parent members on a council live within the boundaries of the school district, and prohibit non-tenured teachers from serving on a council unless no tenured teachers are willing, or available, to serve. HB 89 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
House members unanimously approved legislation that would help cover the cost of child adoption by any Kentucky National Guard member. Any Kentucky National Guard member would be eligible for military family-assistance trust funds of up to $5,000 to cover the adoption of a child with special needs, or up to $3,000 to cover the adoption of another child under HB 224, which is now before the Senate for consideration. The legislation would help cover unreimbursed direct costs, such as licensed adoption agency fees, legal fees and medical costs incurred by Kentucky National Guard members.
A growing problem with feral pigs that may be little known in some areas of the Commonwealth received statewide attention this week when the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee passed a concurrent resolution to address the issue. HCR 76 would encourage the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to study Kentucky’s swelling population of wild pigs, and the dangers and problems they create. The resolution now goes to the full House for approval.
The House often welcomes special guests, including winning sports and academic teams, artists, musicians—even pageant queens like Miss Kentucky Ann-Blair Thornton, who we welcomed to the House chamber Tuesday. But never before, in my memory at least, has the House welcomed to the chamber an actual penguin as we did on Tuesday afternoon when Paula the Penguin paid us a visit.
One of nine African Penguins at the Newport Aquarium’s “African Penguin Encounters” exhibit, Paula—who waddled up the center aisle of the House chamber into the arms of a waiting Newport Aquarium biologist—charmed lawmakers as we adopted a resolution honoring the aquarium and recognizing Tuesday as Penguin Day at the Capitol. The tiny black and white bird brought a lot of smiles and some much needed levity during what would prove to be tough legislative week.
It is hard to believe, but more than a quarter of the 2012 Regular Session is complete. That means there are less than 45 more legislative working days for the House and Senate to come together and pass a new state budget, plus hundreds of other bills that impact Kentuckians young and old across this state. As of now, it would appear that we are right on schedule for completion of our session tasks.
Please continue to stay informed on bills of interest to you throughout the 2012 Regular Session by logging onto the Legislative Research Commission website atwww.lrc.ky.govor by calling the LRC toll-free Bill Status Line at866-840-2835. For committee meeting schedules, please call the LRC toll-free Meeting Information Line at800-633-9650. Or, to comment on a bill, please call the toll-free Legislative Message Line at800-372-7181. You can reach me directly at 502-564-8100, ext. 818.
