FRANKFORT, Ky. — The 2024 Legislative Session is officially underway in Kentucky. State lawmakers returned to the State Capitol in Frankfort Tuesday for day one of the 60-day session.
In both the House and Senate, the first volley of bills and resolutions were filed from both sides of the aisle.
During even-numbered years, the legislature must pass a two-year budget. As of yet, Republicans have not filed budget bills.
“We're going to pass a budget," said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. "Is it going to be everything the governor [Andy Beshear] wants? Probably not.
"Has he reached out to have more communications? Yes, he has. There is going to be something that I think you will see from my perspective that we want to deal with energy issues."
In December, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., released his budget proposal. Its early release comes after Republicans broke tradition in 2022 by submitting their plan ahead of Beshear.
Democrats such as Senate Minority Whip David Yates, D-Louisville, support Beshear’s plan.
“We've got to make sure that our teachers are paid well so our students get quality education,” Yates said. “We’ve got to have a Pre-K program in place.”
The governor has called for universal Pre-K for 4-year-olds and an across-the-board pay raise for educators.
“We may not agree with the governor about universal Pre-K, but I think everybody understands that we need to work on something related to providing day care,” Stivers told reporters Tuesday.
The senate president added he supports expanding day care options for families year-round and not tied to a school district.
Stivers also hinted at legislation targeted at Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). Last August, the state’s largest district experienced transportation issues on the first day of school, as some children did not arrive home until nearly 10 p.m.
One option lawmakers could consider is splitting JCPS into smaller districts.
“There needs to be some serious discussion as to what happens to JCPS,” Stivers said.