Thread by @oliviakrauth

Good morning from a gloomy Frankfort. Day 25/30 of #KYGA23 is underway.

We’re about 20 minutes out from a special meeting of the House Education Committee, where the agenda is jam packed but the room is not.

Follow along!

Here's today's House Education Committee agenda. Most people are here to speak on Senate Bill 5, which would create a process for schools to handle parent complaints about books, programs, etc. #KYGA23

And away we go. Chair Rep. James Tipton says they're moving SB 5 to the end of the agenda. We're starting with Senate Bill 3, Sen. Max Wise's educator liability insurance bill. #KYGA23

Wise says there is no funding in the bill, but they plan on funding it next year during the budget cycle.

He doesn't have an estimate of how much this will cost. #KYGA23

SB 3 passes. SB 25, which tweaks postsecondary readiness indicators, is up now. #KYGA23

SB 25 passes, too. Sen. Mike Wilson's second bill, Senate Bill 107, is up now.

This one initially changed the Ky. Board of Ed nominating process to have an appointee nominating committee that recommends appointees to the Gov. A sub bill cuts that committee. #KYGA23

With that change, I believe the only thing this bill does now is requiring Kentucky's education commissioner to be confirmed by the Senate.

KBE would still hire the commish. They would get four year contracts and would need reconfirmed every four years. #KYGA23

Wilson and other supporters have argued this bill will make KBE less politicized.

Rep. Tina Bojanowski asks how does this make things less political when a currently nonpartisan position would now be subject to approval by a Republican supermajority. #KYGA23

SB 107 passes. SB 81, from Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, is up now.

This one deals with the number of days in private and parochial school calendars. Someone calls for a motion before the bill is explained. #KYGA23

Rep. Josie Raymond is just like ... what does this bill do?

Mays Bledsoe says private schools have to go as long as the public schools - so if Fayette County goes 175 and the state min. # of required days is 170, private schools have to do 175.

This ends that. #KYGA23

SB 81 passes. We're now at ease because we're missing some of the Senators who are supposed to present bills. #KYGA23

Sen. Stephen West is here. He's presenting SB 156, which would create a new statewide reading research center. #KYGA23

SB 156 passes and now heads to the full House. It still needs three readings there, so the earliest it could get a vote is Wednesday.

Not thinking this is at risk of a Beshear veto, so they could also pass this at the end of the month post-veto period. #KYGA23

And time for the final bill on the list: Senate Bill 5.

Remember, this creates a process for handling parent complaints. Starts with the principal and then can be appealed to the school board. #KYGA23

Bill sponsor Sen. Jason Howell says he's gotten criticisms from those on the left because it goes too far, and from those on the right because it doesn't go far enough.

He thinks that means he's gotten SB 5 close to right. #KYGA23

Bojanowski asks what "prurient" means.

She says she googled it and found it used to mean "mental itching."

Howell says it doesn't really matter how *he* defines it because the point is to allow each local school board to define it according to their "community standards."

Howell says challenged works need to be taken as a whole, giving the example of an art textbook with a statue with an exposed breast not causing the book to be pulled.

Rep. Josie Raymond asks about how this bill would impact the parent-teacher relationship, expressing concern this bill would make it easier for parents to immediately go above a teacher's head and straight to the principal.

Howell says parents can still go to teachers first.

Raymond asks if Howell can provide examples of programs at schools in Kentucky that would be a problem under this bill.

He can't name any specifics but cites concerns that events in other states will come here.

Rep. Killian Timoney, a R with an education background, says he supports SB 5 because he thinks materials should be age-appropriate.

TImoney says he is a former principal and asks if they considered using the SBDM council in the process, because the proposed 10-day turnaround time for principals seems burdensome.

Howell says the bill allows for extensions if both principal/parent agree.

Senate President Robert Stivers recounts an incident in his district: "We had what was called 'twerking'"

I ... I think he's discussing the Hazard Independent "man pageant" thing ... but I'm not sure

courier-journal.com/story/news/edu…

OK time for speakers. Ten people have signed up. They'll get three minutes each. #KYGA23

First two have been against the bill, with the latter pointing out we are facing a teacher shortage and instead of taking big steps to confront it, lawmakers are passing things like SB 5 that would add work on teachers' plates. #KYGA23

Third speaker introduces himself as a member of the Communist Party and the Kentucky Pirate Party.

Pirate man and the following two speakers have also been against SB 5.

Update on the Kentucky Pirate Party - Ethan Osborne is the one who spoke earlier.

wiki.uspirates.org/w/index.php?ti…

The majority of testimony has been against the bill.

Miranda Stovall, the parent who challenged "Gender Queer" in JCPS and lost, is speaking in favor of SB 5.

Stovall says all we hear is about LGBTQ. If there are books without sexual content and are LGBTQ themes, then bring them in. Her issue is with sexual content, she says.

Mirna Eads with Moms for Liberty starts by saying they're not banning books, they're *challenging* them.

Former state rep candidate Jerry Gearding, who frequently trashes me from his formerly anonymous burner account on Twitter, is the last speaker today. He's in favor of SB 5.

"We're protecting kids, that's what we have to do."

He is reading a statement from someone else - a statement that has mentioned LGBTQ, DEI, CRT, "the rainbow library," and Marxism.

In voting, Rep. Josh Calloway goes after JCPS school board for not allowing Stovall to remove "Gender Queer" from a handful of high school libraries.

The school board didn't have a say in her challenge.

SB 5 passes on a party-line vote. Off to the full House. It doesn't have any readings, so the earliest it could get a full vote is Wednesday. It will be a close call - they need to get this done by the veto period.

Meeting adjourns with Tipton reminding everyone to keep an eye out for more meetings this week.

Someone asked if they should expect to meet at their normal time 8 a.m. tomorrow and I don't think he responded.

I’m now in the Senate for the afternoon. @joesonka is covering the House A&R meeting. #KYGA23

The House convenes at 4 p.m., FYI

House Bill 470 just got a second reading in the Senate. #KYGA23

Unless I missed it, I don't think HB 470 got a committee assignment.

If that holds true, it has the readings but could be held up to get that assignment so it can get a cmte vote and then a Senate vote.

It has the readings to get a cmte and floor vote on the same day.

We’re moving into the Senate’s orders of the day, starting with House Bill 75 - hospital rate improvement.

OK Senate is done orders for today. They're about to recess for caucus meetings.

Senate is in recess. #KYGA23

Senate is returning senate is returning welcome back

The Senate just added House Bill 360 and HB 448 to tonight's orders of the day. #KYGA23

HB 360 is up first. Some background on the bill is in here: courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…

HB 360 w/ the Senate's changes unanimously passes out of the Senate. It will head back to the House for concurrence. #KYGA23

HB 448 is up now.

And HB 448 passes and will also go back to the House for concurrence. #kyga23

Schickel, Southworth and Williams are no votes.

And the Senate is done with the orders of the day (again)

If my hearing is good enough, I think the rules committee is planning on putting HB 470 in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

That committee tends to meet Thursday mornings but wouldn't be surprised if a special meeting got called at a different time.

oooooo wait no - hb 407 is in senate judiciary ignore ignore

OK unless I misheard again, HB 470 did *not* get a cmte assignment?

OK OK HB 470 to Senate Families and Children, which typically meets Tuesday mornings but met this morning so idk

Words and rules and schedules are not real this week ok

potential schedule for tomorrow:

8 a.m. - House ed (maybe) feat. SB 150 (which might be radically overhauled)

9 a.m. - Senate families and children (maybe) feat. HB 470

10 a.m. - Senate L&O feat. medical marijuana, gray machines and (maybe) sports betting. #KYGA23

Sen. Danny Carroll just confirmed HB 470 WILL be heard tomorrow at 9 a.m.

HB 470 has enough readings to pass both committee and the Senate tomorrow.

Senate adjourned. #KYGA23