Veto Session Legislative Update
Sen. Gex Williams (District 20)
We are now halfway through the veto period, and the governor has begun issuing decisions on legislation passed during this year’s session. Here is an update on several key vetoes and what they mean for the future.
Senate Bill (SB) 59
This bill provides meaningful teeth to the existing law that prohibits taxpayer-funded public offices from engaging in political advocacy. The governor vetoed the bill, claiming it restricts free speech. In reality, the bill reinforces a simple principle: taxpayer dollars should not be used for political purposes. Public officials remain free to express their views on their own time, but they should not do so using public resources.
SB 173
The bill provides meaningful legislative oversight of Medicaid regulations filed by the executive branch. There have been numerous occasions where administrative regulations have gone far beyond the intent of state law, and in this year’s budget session, the executive branch has not shown much willingness to work in good faith with lawmakers, especially in regard to providing information related to why projects of tax dollars required for Medicaid continue to increase at such an unsustainable pace. The governor called SB 173 a “power grab,” but the bill does not take over Medicaid in any way whatsoever. It simply establishes a clear process for legislative review of major changes that carry a significant fiscal impact. The General Assembly sets policy and appropriates funding, and it is appropriate to review decisions that affect both. This is about transparency and accountability, not control.
SB 65
This measure finds null and void specific administrative regulations that exceed the executive branch’s authority by implementing policy not authorized by the legislature, including one regulation that expands the qualified uses of diabetes drugs to include weight loss as an authorized purpose. Keep in mind, this relates to taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits. SB 65 makes clear that agencies must operate within the authority granted by law and the Constitution. As with SB 173, the governor must recognize that the legislature writes the law and the executive branch carries it out. He continually conflates lawful executive actions supported by legislative intent and directives with unilateral edicts and policymaking by executive fiat when he disagrees with the legislature’s policy decisions. This bill ensures that regulations do not expand policy beyond what was authorized.
House Bill (HB) 312
The intent of this bill is to create consistency within existing Kentucky law, while more importantly recognizing the right to keep and bear arms. It allows Kentuckians aged 18 to carry a concealed firearm. The governor vetoed HB 312 on the grounds of age comparisons and other unrelated restrictions. However, under current law, 18-year-olds can already openly carry a firearm. This bill simply allows them to obtain a concealed carry license through a legal process that includes training and accountability, which I argue the governor should appreciate.
HB 379
The governor argued this bill would cost more than it would return, but provided no evidence to support that claim. HB 379 strengthens accountability across Kentucky’s taxpayer-supported postsecondary institutions by establishing a more consistent, centralized process for collecting outstanding debts. Rather than relying on a patchwork of collection efforts by individual universities, the bill places that responsibility with the Department of Revenue, which already has the infrastructure and expertise to handle collections efficiently and transparently. Unfortunately, the governor’s veto message on HB 379 appears to set the table for his refusal to enforce the law, as he has with several other meaningful pieces of legislation in the past.
HB 78
This bill addresses liability standards for manufacturers and sellers. The governor framed it as limiting legal recourse, but the legislation aligns with long-standing principles that producers are not responsible for the criminal misuse of lawful products. These standards that the governor would apply to gun manufacturers do not apply to manufacturers of other products, nor are such products outlined as an inalienable right in the Bill of Rights.
We will return for the final days of the session to review vetoes and determine next steps, which will likely be to issue overrides of most, if not all, of them. As always, our focus remains on upholding the law, protecting taxpayers and ensuring transparency in how government operates.
Some measures signed into law
In each legislative session, the 15-20 percent of bills that generate disagreement garner almost 100 percent of the headlines and media coverage. The truth is that there is, more than 80 percent of the time, bipartisan and sometimes unanimous agreement on legislation. In that spirit, several bills have been signed into law by the governor this week. They include Senate bills establishing an autism trust fund to support research and services for Kentuckians with autism, another bill ensuring Kentucky state employees with loved ones with disabilities can have peace of mind that their loved ones will receive benefits in the event of the employees’ passing, and a teacher and school staff protection measure that enhances penalties for students who harm school staff.