Thread by @joesonka

KY House State Govt committee about to meet. They will take up HB 28, the original version of which would have prohibited governments, colleges & private employers from enacting rules requiring employees/customers of disclosing vaccine status & prohibiting discrimination on that

The committee sub for HB 28 that I've seen completely throws out the prohibition on private employers doing so. This one is sponsored by Rep. Savannah Maddox and has been a big cause of the anti-vax/mask mandate crowd going back to last year.

Committee is also taking up two mystery shell bills that we'll learn the contents of soon: HB 516 related to state government and HB 594 related to economic development.

Change of plans: Committee will NOT hear HB 516 and HB 594, the two mystery shell bills. Only HB 28.

Maddox presenting her HB 28 committee sub. No longer has a ban on private employers requiring disclosure of COVID vaccine status.

There is now a "committee amendment" for HB 28... Rep. Heavrin presenting it.

Heavrin's committee amendment would strike private colleges from the bill and have the ban apply only to public postsecondary institutions. Says it is a friendly amendment to Maddox.

Chuck Eddy of Lexington, a Democratic state Senate candidate, is testifying against HB 28. He's saying this would prohibit requiring private health care companies from requiring COVID vaccine of workers. I believe that's been taken out of the sub.

JD Cheney with @KyLeagueCities speaking against HB 28, says it violates home rule of local governments.

Jason Hall with Catholic Conference of Kentucky says he fears this would apply to nonprofits and religious nonprofits.

Maddox and Nemes agree that leaving nonprofits in the bill was probably an accident that can be fixed in a floor amendments.

Maddox also agrees that the ban on private businesses was taken out due to "pushback" within the GOP caucus.

HB 28 passes through committee on a straight party-line vote. Maddox say afterward it’s disappointing private employers taken out but that provision didn’t have majority support in House GOP caucus.