Today marks the thirty-first legislative day of the 2016 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.  Today is the last day for new bill request.

Both the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committees continue to hear testimony on the state budget.  On Tuesday the House Budget Review Sub-Committee on Transportation heard testimony from officials from the Transportation Cabinet on the road fund and the six year road plan.  It is forecast that fuel tax receipts will grow by less than one percent in 2017 and 2018.

A bill draft to address our 2016 State Priority Issue regarding water resources is in its final stages.  We should have a bill filed next week.

Below is an update of a couple of bills on interest filed this week:

SB182: P. Hornback, W. Westerfield - AN ACT relating to the storage and handling of grain.

This bill would change license renewal date for grain storage businesses and for grain dealers from August 1 to July 1 of each year.  It would also change the penalties relating to the storage and handling of grain by placing a cap of $500,000 for each violation.

SB191: P. Hornback - AN ACT relating to reorganization and declaring an emergency.

This bill would reorganize the State Fair Board to seventeen members as follows:

• The Governor or his or her designee;

• The Commissioner of Agriculture or his or her designee;
• The Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment or his or her designee;

• One member involved with or experience in agribusiness;

• One member representative of all segments of animal agriculture;

• One member representative of all segments of crop or plant production;

• One member representative from the American Saddlebred Association;

• One member representative from Kentucky Farm Bureau;

• One member representative from Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows;

• One member representative from Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau;

• State President of Kentucky FFA Association (ex-officio);

• State President of Kentucky 4-H Organization (ex-officio);

• Five members appointed by the Governor from the state at large with due consideration to geographical distribution throughout the state.

The Governor shall select the Chair and Vice Chair of the state fair board and they shall serve for one year and may be reappointed. Members of the state fair board shall be appointed to no more than three terms and terms served prior to and on the effective date of this act shall be included in determining the term limits.

The state fair board shall meet monthly a minimum of ten months per year.  This bill requires the state fair board to hold an annual fair on the state fairgrounds and operate the Kentucky State Fair and World's Championship Horse Show and the National Farm Machinery Show.  It removes the Kentucky Livestock Improvement Association from the Fair Council and clarifies membership representation to include the Kentucky Colt Racing Association and Agricultural Education Consultant and adds a representative of animal agriculture.  It also deletes membership requirements of the North American International Livestock Exposition Executive Committee and deletes membership requirements of the North American International Livestock Exposition Executive Committee subcommittees.

This bill if passed would nullify the effect of Executive Order 2015-398, dated June 23, 2015.

KFB Policy

“We encourage the Kentucky State Fair Board be composed of a minimum of fifty percent voting members who are active members in agriculture leadership.”

REMINDER

This year we are combining our Legislative Drive-In Day with our annual Food Check-Out Day activities on March 2, 2016.  This will allow those of you visiting with your legislator(s) the opportunity to present them with a basket of Kentucky grown agricultural products to celebrate the safest most affordable food in the world.

The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, located at 200 Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky. 

We encourage you to contact your senator and representative in advance to let them know you will be in Frankfort that day and to set up a meeting with them to discuss issues affecting agriculture and to present them with a Food Check-Out Day basket.

REMINDER

Special Election

Please note there will be four Special Elections for the seats listed below on Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

House District 8  – Christian and Trigg counties

House District 54 – Boyle and Casey counties

House District 62 – Fayette, Owen, and Scott counties

House District 98 – Boyd and Greenup counties

We encourage those county Farm Bureau’s with special elections to conduct a Measure-the-Candidate Forum.  It is critically important to know what the candidate’s views are regarding our State Priority Issues and our policy.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS

During the week, you may reach your representative and senator in Frankfort by calling 502.564.8100.

If you do not desire to talk to your state legislator immediately or you just want to leave a message, you may dial toll-free 800.372.7181. An answering service will take your message for your representative or senator. The legislative calendar information line is 800.633.9650, the bill status line is 866.840.2835, and the Governor's office number is 502.564.2611.

If you desire to e-mail your representative or senator, click here for a list of e-mail addresses for members of the Kentucky General Assembly. Find your legislator and click on his or her name to access their e-mail address.

YOUR LOBBYISTS

The following are registered to lobby for Kentucky Farm Bureau for the 2016 session: Jeff Harper, Public Affairs Director, extension 5104; Bryan Alvey extension 7218; Tony Sholar, extension 5121, and David S. Beck, extension 5101.  If you would like to call your lobbyists during the evening, call 502-352-4280 at the Frankfort headquarters or call 502.495.5000 and key in their extensions.

If you would like to contact one of your lobbyists during the day, please call Sara Stivers at 502.495.5121 and she will put you in touch with one of them.