OP-ED: Senator Danny Carroll's Legislative Update

I hope this letter finds you and your family well, as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the Commonwealth.  Like many of you, I spent the past week with a mild case of COVID-19.  However, I was able to attend committee and caucus meetings via Zoom, and I will get caught up on floor votes this week.

I would encourage each of you to talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated, if you haven’t already. The vaccine did not prevent me from getting COVID-19, but may have helped keep my symptoms mild. I firmly believe the choice to get vaccinated is yours and yours alone.  My only request is that you make an educated decision, not an emotional one. 

After the first week of the 2022 Regular Session extended into the weekend, allowing for passage of time-sensitive legislation, week two was an abbreviated week—only four days—ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. This allowed for a four-day weekend which greatly benefits members of the western Kentucky delegation who were eager to be home as efforts to rebuild continue. 

On that note, in week two the General Assembly passed vital legislation pertaining to disaster relief for western Kentucky and ensuring in-person education is maintained for as many students as possible amid COVID-19 mitigation efforts in our schools. 

Members of the western Kentucky delegation championed Senate Bill (SB) 5 and the remainder of the Senate signed on as co-sponsors, in a clear show of unity for western Kentucky. SB 25 returned to the Senate as the companion House Bill (HB) 5 extended and clarified COVID-19 provisions signed into law during the 2021 Special Session, which were set to expire on January 1. I plan to make remarks on the Senate floor this week acknowledging and praising the efforts of those who have worked tireless within my district and other affected areas of the state in the aftermath of the killer tornadoes.

HB 5 provides western Kentucky communities devastated by the recent tornados with $200 million in general aid. The Western Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (SAFE) fund will immediately allocate $45 million, with $15 million of the funds going specifically to temporary housing for displaced families. The remaining $30 million will assist with education needs, bringing a sense of normalcy and much needed stability to children's lives. More of this $200 million appropriation will be made available as we determine where those funds are needed the most.  I have been in touch with Marshall County Judge-Executive Kevin Neal and Benton Mayor Rita Dotson to gather information on the needs within the county.   

Additionally, the General Assembly approved House Joint Resolution (HJR) 29, which extended the state of emergency declaration for western Kentucky. Lawmakers contend the governor did not need an extension to continue that state of emergency, but out of an abundance of caution, passed HJR 29 as yet another showing of the legislature’s commitment to western Kentucky. 

SB 25 extends and clarifies COVID-19 provisions from the 2021 Special Session as it relates to schools. It also extends some of the more agreeable orders to allow for further mitigation of COVID-19. 

The bill continues to prioritize in-person learning by providing each school with remote instruction days, as opposed to a district-wide allotment. These non-traditional instruction (NTI) days may be used by the school in a variety of ways to ensure the fewest students are impacted. In order to address staffing shortages, the bill also loosens regulations around state retirement benefits enabling schools to rehire previously retired staff. 

SB 25 also maintains legislative remedies first enacted in the 2021 Special Session’s SB 1, which initiates a more balanced approach to mitigating COVID-19 in schools. It is a result of the dedicated collaboration of lawmakers, as opposed to unilateral actions by the Governor. 

There are many critical decisions to be made in the legislature in the days and coming weeks.  I ask for your continued support and patience as we move forward. The Kentucky Senate will work hard to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely and that we pass legislation that is in the best interest of the people of our great Commonwealth.  We will not always agree on every decision, but what is important is that we share the same goal of making a better life for all the people of this great Commonwealth, now and for future generations.

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