Where bills stand: Safer Kentucky Act, US Senate vacancy plan, JCPS task force approved

FRANKFORT — On one of the final days of the legislative session, Kentucky lawmakers approved a number of important and sometimes controversial bills.

Lawmakers gaveled in early, at 9 a.m., with expectations of a marathon day of committee meetings, floor debates, traffic between the House and the Senate, and last-minute surprises.

Over the next two weeks, Gov. Andy Beshear will have the opportunity to veto bills. The legislature is then scheduled to reconvene on April 12 and April 15, when it can vote to override Beshear's vetoes.

Here's a roundup of action on major bills:

Safer Kentucky Bill gets final passage

The House gave final passage to the Safer Kentucky Act, a wide-ranging and controversial criminal justice bill that now heads to the governor’s desk for his approval or veto.

Sponsored by Rep. Jared Bauman, R- Louisville, House Bill 5 creates a new crime of “unlawful camping” for sleeping on streets, sidewalks, under bridges, in parks and in cemeteries.

Critics say this would criminalize homelessness, but Bauman vehemently denied that during a lunchtime debate in the House on Thursday.

The bill would also create a "three strikes" rule for Kentucky, prohibiting probation, parole or early release for any person convicted of three violent felonies and adding a number of crimes to the list of the violent felonies.

Democrats criticized the bill, saying tighter gun controls, higher wages and more funding for education would do more to improve Kentuckians' safety.

"It's possibly the very worst piece of legislation I've seen in my entire time here," said Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport, as part of the Democrats' final, but unsuccessful effort to block the bill's passage.

HB 5, which is currently 78 pages long, includes many other provisions. It would make selling or providing fentanyl to a person who dies from an overdosemanslaughter, a felony.

Shop owners and employees could use a "reasonable amount of force" to prevent someone from escaping in cases of suspected shoplifting. And the bill would allow a gun used in a homicide to be destroyed, a rallying cry for anti-violence advocates in Louisville in the aftermath of last year's Old National Bank shooting. But the gun could be destroyed only after it is auctioned off, and only if the purchaser wants that.

A provision added in the Senate would require counties to create restorative justice committees tasked with developing programs to serve children who are referred by schools, courts or social service agencies. Restorative justice focuses on repairing harm and making amends — victim-offender mediation is one example — rather than punishment.

HB 5 passed on an 75-23, mostly party-line vote. Three Republican representatives crossed party lines to vote against the bill: Steven Dean (Erlanger), Courtney Gilbert (Hodgenville) and Savannah Maddox (Dry Ridge).

How Kentucky fills a Senate vacancy could change soon

A bill that would change the process of how Kentucky handles a Senate vacancy is on the way to the governor’s desk. House Bill 622 would strip the governor’s authority to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat and instead require a special election. It got final approval in the General Assembly on Thursday morning.

The bill was sponsored by House Majority Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, who said the power to decide who would get the seat belongs to the people.

Rudy denied that he filed the bill because of concerns about Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health. McConnell has had a few recent scares and is serving his seventh term and up for reelection in 2026. Recently, he announced that he would step down from leadership in November.

Instead, Rudy said he was motivated by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's conviction for trying to sell former President Barack Obama's Illinois Senate seat after Obama was elected to the White House.

JCPS task force is coming soon

A task force that could propose major changes to Jefferson County Public Schools has gained final approval from the legislature.

House Concurrent Resolution 81 would create a task force to study how to create an “efficient and effective” school district. JCPS leaders have previously said they are opposed to the measure.

Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, said on the Senate floor that JCPS has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic at a higher rate than other school districts, and the task force won’t improve the quality of the district.

The task force is the first step in a possible restructuring, or even splitting up, of the school district.

Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said if it was up for a vote today, he would vote to split the district up.

The task force would be required to meet twice a month and review at least 16 areas of school district operations and create a list of recommendations for next year’s General Assembly.

It would also be made up of 13 members, including lawmakers, businesspeople, a teacher or former teacher, a representative from Louisville's mayor office, and two taxpayers who live in the JCPS district and have children who attend or recently graduated from JCPS.

The resolution passed on a 30-7 vote.

Child sex doll bill gets final passage, heads to governor

Lawmakers approved a bill that would make possessing, trafficking or importing a child sex doll a felony in Kentucky.

House Bill 207, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Dietz, R-Edgewood, also adds computer-generated images of minors to the state’s child pornography law.

The bill caused a stir earlier this month when Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, said research she found indicates child sex dolls could help prevent pedophiles’ attacks on children. Berg later issued a clarifying statement after the video of her speaking went viral. She voted in favor of the bill.

The bill gained unanimous passage in both the House and the Senate and is now headed to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk for approval.

Check back for updates on additional bills.

Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.comor follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @RebGrapevine.Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky legislature passes Safer Kentucky Act, other major bills