State Contracts, Construction Plans, Tobacco Settlement, Child Fatality and Near-Fatality
Several statutory committees met last week with discussions ranging from government contracts, administrative regulations, capital plan reviews, usage of tobacco settlement funds, and child fatality.
Government Contract Review Committee: Committee members reviewed 250 contracts reflecting more than $123 million in funding. The Kentucky Department of Education presented on several contracts, with legislators deferring approval of a $400,000 contract for a third-party evaluation service until it can be further reviewed. Other presenters were representatives from the Administrative Office of the Courts, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Community Based Services, Western Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and Kentucky State University.
Administrative Regulations and Review Subcommittee: Members heard from several executive branch cabinets and agencies for legislative review and to give recommendations to ensure statutory compliance. Among these were the Finance and Administration Cabinet discussing emergency medical transportation, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for an update from the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) regarding recently promulgated regulations which expand Medicaid services and eligibility. One day after the legislative session ended, CHFS established regulations to greatly expand the scope, care, and cost of Medicaid instead of using legislative resources to craft a long-term solution. In order to avoid further politicization of the issue, we hope it will be brought to the appropriate committees for attention in the next legislative session.
Capital Planning Advisory Board: Legislators spoke with several executive branch and judicial branch agencies to discuss budget requests for the upcoming regular session. The Council on Post-Secondary Education focused their requests on asset preservation for Kentucky’s public postsecondary institutions. The Administrative Office of the Courts seeks authorization for new courthouse and facilities constructions. The Cabinet for Economic Development requested funding for three programs such as, the Economic Development Fund Program, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, and High-Tech Construct/ Investment Pools. Lastly, the Department for Local Government provided a summary of its work and purpose to the board. For their budget request, they asked for flood control matching funds to provide flood damage reduction projects.
Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee: Lawmakers received an update from the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy. In June, more than $4.3 million were approved for projects across the commonwealth across multiple different programs. In July, an additional $2.9 million was allocated. The projects have presented a need for funding, provided evidence of the potential benefits, and demonstrated the additional value created with the project. Many of these projects represent the development of cutting-edge technology in agriculture, such as drone usage, while other represent the commitment to agricultural traditions, like permanent structures for farmers’ markets.
Legislative Oversight & Investigations Committee: Members heard from the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality Panel concerning the process of inquiry into a child’s death or near-death. Last year, an External Review Panel performed a comprehensive audit of the panel, in which 9 areas of potential improvement were identified. Both groups were present in this committee meeting, which provided members with an update on how the panel has addressed potential deficiencies, the response to the recommendations, and in general, a report on work the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality Panel has performed. Children are unfortunately often subject to traumatic experiences, and both the panel and the committee aim to eliminate negative patterns in the hope of decreasing the number of these cases.