Thread by @joesonka

Senate about to convene in a moment and begin Day 2 of the special session of the Kentucky General Assembly. #kyga21

Senate may take up SB 1 or SB 4 this morning, which they passed out of committee yesterday.

Here's a quick rundown of the 5 big bills (and one joint resolution) for this session that have a mirrors of themselves in each chamber.

HB 1 and SB 1: The education bill that ends statewide mask mandates for public schools and child care centers. Also adds 20 flexible remote learning days and requires CHFS to create "test to stay" program. Senate committee passed SB 1 yesterday, HB 1 up in House committee today.

HB 2 and SB 2: Bans any statewide mask mandates or visitor bans at nursing homes. Calls for more testing and vaccine access and creates regional monoclonal antibody clinics. House committee passed HB 2 yesterday, SB 2 up in committee today.

HB 3 and SB 3: Appropriates $69M from ARPA to health care providers, hospitals, prisons, schools. Also prioritizes assistance to monoclonal antibody treatment providers. Maddox has a floor amendment to ban funds for those who require employees to vaccinate.

HB 4 and SB 4: States legislators do not receive any pay during "veto period" days. This means if Beshear holds onto passed bills legislature could wait him out to override and not keep the tab running on session cost. Senate committee passed SB 4 yesterday.

HB 5 and SB 5: Appropriates $410 million for an unnamed $2 billion economic development project to property in Hardin County.

HJR 1 and SJR 1: Extends state of emergency to Jan. 15 and extends a few dozen emergency executive orders and regulations, letting others expire. HJR 1 was passed by both chambers yesterday w/ 2nd and 3rd readings waived.

The mirror bills setup was created so they can pass these in 3 days with required 3 readings in each chamber, whereas this usually takes 5 days with all readings.

Southworth making speech about learning what hypotheses were in school, says "there's a gap in information" about the pandemic in the public. Reminds Senate they get to be the experts on this. Talking about a big document a constituent sent her on vaccines being "non-sterilized"

Southworth now talking more about this unnamed constituent sending her stuff, who says he isn't sure why the flu has disappeared. I don't know where she's going with this.

Southworth: Masks and vaccines obviously don't work, because the pandemic is still getting worse. Have to try something new...

Sen. McDaniel speaking now, saying that the very large majority of COVID patients in our hospitals are unvaccinated.

SB 1 was just recommitted to the Senate Education committee.... it passed out of that committee yesterday. Something is up there. Here's that story from yesterday: courier-journal.com/story/news/edu…

Hearing that SB 1 is going back to the committee to change the TRS language in it over concerns it conflicts with federal law. Dems are trying to get them to also clear up the NTI language, but they don't have a great deal of leverage, obviously.

Senate back to speeches, as House is set to convene at the top of the hour. Senate Education committee will meet to take up SB 1 again at 11am, before House Education committee takes up HB 1 mirror at noon.

Here's that earlier thread on the 5 big mirror bills (and one joint resolution) that are being taken up in each chamber of the Kentucky General Assembly in this special session, in story form: courier-journal.com/story/news/pol… via @courierjournal

@courierjournal House Democrats filing a bunch of floor amendments to HB 1 and HB 2 right now.

House is now adjourned until tomorrow morning. The rest of the action for Wednesday will be in the House and Senate committee meetings in the annex.

This Senate H&W committee meeting was supposed to begin 35 minutes ago to take up SB 2, but is still being delayed as members sit here waiting. HB 2 was passed yesterday in House committee. Alvarado chairs this committee... he filed alt version of this, SB 6, yesterday....

I think some intraparty gamesmanship is afoot.

I'm told committee is "waiting on an amendment"

The members all here very awkwardly and silently waiting...

If they don't start this meeting soon, there are two other committees that begin at 11am, including House Econ Dev taking up HB 5 and Senate Education taking up SB 1 again. This delay might delay Senate Education.

Alvarado speaks! Meeting is delayed until 1pm this afternoon....

Coming up at 11:

House Econ Dev takes up HB 5, the bill to spend $410 million on unnamed $2B project in Hardin County.

Senate Education takes up SB 1 again. Wise told me the TRS tweak is the only change to the bill they passed yesterday. #kyga21

Rocky Adkins with governor’s office here for the HB 5 meeting. Assuming he might be the one presenting the Econ dev opportunity to the committee, or at least interested in fate of HB 5

On the SB 2 committee delay, Alvarado said they had to wait on Stivers, as he was presenting on the bill. Told he was dealing with amendments on floor and couldn't make it over. I don't fully understand that, but that was the explanation.

Rocky Adkins is presenting on HB 5 along with committee chairman Russell Webber and Katie Smith, Econ Dev Cabinet secretary

Webber: The $350 million of forgivable loans will come from state rainy day fund, won't come in lump sum. Also $10.6M to deal with paying loan related to Hardin property and $50m for training programs.

Rocky Adkins: This is a bill supported by governor's office and "has been vetted very well" by state budget director John Hicks and GOP legislative leadership.

Adkins: We're seeing significant interest in companies wanting to locate in Kentucky. Says Hardin property was bought under Gov. Patton for a project that fell through. Using existing incentives for this, but "front loading" them.

Adkins: This allows Kentucky to compete for business. Added that it includes a claw back provision for the state funds and monitoring

Adkins: "This is a game changer." This is big and they wouldn't have come here with HB 5 if it wasn't really needed.

(Katie Smith is not Cabinet secretary, that's Larry Hayes... she is Commissioner of Department for Financial Services in the Cabinet)

Meanwhile in Senate Education: Wise told me a half hour ago the TRS change was only change to SB 1, but apparently not:

https://twitter.com/oliviakrauth/status/1435623558110236679

Smith says the $350 million for loans is for "projects," not just one project.

Adkins stresses the need for "future technologies"

Webber: "This gets us ahead of the game." Mentions another company that didn't locate here because we didn't "check all the boxes."

(Rep. Webber happens to represent Hardin County)

Rowland made not-so-veiled reference to the Braidy Industries bill, says he's more comfortable with this one.

Smith: Entire $350m loan is forgivable if they meet jobs and investment targets.

Adkins says there are multiple projects being targeted around the state, not just at Hardin County property.

Have not heard any critical voices yet on this committee about HB 5.

DJ Johnson and Lawrence effusive in praise of HB 5. Kulkarni questioning the parameters of the bill now.

Adkins tells Kulkarni this $350 million will not be spent this fiscal year, but held over time as assurance and as leverage, allowing them to compete. This will be spent over time.

Committee votes 22-0 to pass HB 5. Kulkarni passes for now, hoping to get more info on unnamed projects and safeguards before it comes to House floor.

Amended SB 1 clears Senate Education again. This time it doesn't have provision on retired teachers returning and the incentives for students/staff to vaccinate.

https://twitter.com/oliviakrauth/status/1435631961800839170

And now House Education is taking up the mirror education bill HB 1.

And Senate Appropriations & Revenue committee going over SB 3 appropriating $69 million of ARPA funds to assist with pandemic response. Stivers testifying on the bill.

Senate A&R passes SB 3 on a 9-0 vote.

Senate A&R now taking up SB 5, the mirror to HB 5 that was passed earlier in House Econ Dev committee on 22-0 vote to spend $410 million on a $2 billion investment projects and others.

Sens. Adams and Thayer are speaking for SB 5 in this committee.

Thayer says Kentucky being a "right to work" state is helping it attract this $2 billion project.

Sen. Nemes says the Braidy Industries deal wasn't necessarily a bad decision, but it was a bad outcome. Lots of Braidy caution discussed today, but members are saying this deal is safer.

SB 5 passes Senate A&R on a 9-0 vote, after mirror HB 5 passed House committee with 22-0 vote.

A quick reminder of what is not on the agenda for this special session:

(That's the guy from TikTok)

Rep. Killian Timoney (R) sounding like HB 1 is not enough for him, as he preferred he expected COVID-19 "matrix" on masks

HB 1 FAILS in vote in House Education committee. Whoa. Now what?

The no votes on HB 1 were a bipartisan mix of Republicans and Democrats who thought it went to far or not far enough.

*too

Timoney and Bojanowsi both passed and wanted to see more allowance for mask mandates

Now for 1pm meeting. Senate H&W meeting again with a committee substitute for SB 2...

House A&R also hearing HB 3, the ARPA $69M bill.

Stivers speaking on the committee sub for SB 2, not sure what is changed yet.

From what I can tell, the amended SB 2 will tell the CHFS to "do a better job coordinating" delivery of monoclonal antibody treatments, vaccines and testing and add reporting requirements.

Stivers also talking about CHFS coordinating some kind of local "influencer" campaign on vaccines under committee sub

Stivers: A local health department cannot mandate vaccines on the local level in amended SB 2.

Alvarado: No one's listening to the politicians anymore. People trust their doctors....

Alvarado asking Stack and Friedlander why monoclonal antibody treatments are limited in Kentucky. Friedlander says progress has been made on that, Stack says 140 sites w/ the treatment exist around the state right now.

Alvarado saying CHFS not doing enough to help hospitals with staffing shortages, need financial support

Alvarado allowing public comment now from a woman who says many workers believe that COVID-19 vaccines aren't safe and that's why they won't comply with mandate.

"Do you want government and corporations to control your medical care?" Alvarado cuts her off and now we're voting on SB 2.

SB 2 passes 8-2 out of committee, with several Republicans voting yes but saying it "doesn't go far enough"

FUN UPDATE: House Education committee is returning at 4:30 to take anther crack at passing HB 1, which fell one vote short of passing earlier today.

And we’re back. Reconsidering vote on HB 1 from earlier today.

At least one Republican is switching to a yes vote on HB 1 “to get this out of committee.”

Bojanowski also voting yes just to get it out of committee and hopes it is improves. Decker switches to yes to get it out.

Timoney also switching to a yes vote, this should pass easy now

HB 1 passes easy. Now everybody goes home. Again.

Rep. Banta, the GOP sponsor of HB 1, says of GOP members changing votes to get it out of committee: "we just had to change minds and make people realize that you're not going to get every single thing you asked for all the time. Sometimes you have to give them a little bit."

Asked what those House Republican caucus discussions on HB 1 looked like this afternoon, Banta said: "let's just say it kind of looks like a dysfunctional Thanksgiving meal... the the turkey is served."

Bojanowski (D) said she changed to a yes vote because she received assurances from Banta that it could improve and she fears the Senate would produce a worse bill with SB 1.

Specifically, a worse bill that includes a floor amendment to prohibit any local school district from implementing its own mask mandate. There is one such floor amendment waiting for SB 1.

Bills advance to spend $410 million to lure big unnamed $2B economic development project to Hardin County courier-journal.com/story/news/pol… via @courierjournal

Updated story on today’s wild ride for the HB 1 education and school masking bill, compete with Banta’s gobble gobble quote courier-journal.com/story/news/edu… via @courierjournal

Ban on statewide mask mandate, changes to health rules during COVID-19 advances in Senate courier-journal.com/story/news/pol… via @courierjournal @d_yetter