The 2023 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 30.

A procurement bill and a bill requiring special elections for Louisville passed.

House Bill 0522 increases the small purchase amounts for public agencies from $30,000 to $40,000 before requiring a newspaper advertisement seeking bids.

House Bill 0191 requires a special election must be held 60 days after the declaration of vacancy, to fill an open Louisville Metro Council seat if the vacancy occurs over three months before a regular election.

Several Campaign finance bills did not pass, including:

• A bill requiring campaign consultants to register
• A bill permitting paper filings
• A bill prohibiting candidates, committees, and contributing organizations from making an expenditure to an intermediary.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced a special election on February 21, 2023, to fill the vacancy in Senate District 19 created by the resignation of Senator Morgan McGarvey.

Under state law, when a legislator vacancy occurs while lawmakers are not in session, the Governor may call the special election.

McGarvey is resigning from the position because he was elected U.S. representative for Kentucky’s 3rd congressional district.

A new city ordinance passed by Louisville, Kentucky Metro Council creates registration and disclosure requirements for lobbying.

Beginning in May 2023, Ordinance 058-22 will require lobbyists and employers engaging a city official to influence executive agency decisions or legislation to register with the Ethics Commission within seven days of the communication.

In addition to registration, each lobbyist and employer will be required to disclose expenditures on lobbying.

The final version of the ordinance is expected to be published soon.

Kentucky Voters defeated constitutional amendment 1, which would have permitted the Senate President and House Speaker to jointly call special sessions of the legislature lasting up to 12 days annually.

Only the Governor can call a special session.

The amendment would have also removed specific legislative session end dates from the constitution and instead limit sessions to 30 legislative days in odd-numbered years and 60 legislative days in even-numbered years.

Lawmakers ended a three-day special session by passing a $213 million package for flood recovery and a plan to help schools in eastern Kentucky.

Signed into law by Gov. Beshear on Friday, the law establishes the East Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (EKSAFE), to assist counties named in the federal declaration.

Legislators emphasized this is the first step and they expect additional legislation next year when lawmakers meet in regular session.

The General Assembly is scheduled to convene for the 2023 regular session on Jan 3.

Gov. Andy Beshear called a special session of the Kentucky General Assembly to begin today, August 24 at noon to establish funding and administration of the Eastern Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (EKSAFE) and amend the statute relating to the West Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (WKSAFE) and provide relief to Eastern Kentucky school districts impacted by the flooding emergency.

The 2022 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 14.

A campaign finance and an ethics bill passed with a veto override.

House Bill 740 reduces transparency in campaign finance by removing the requirement that candidates report the name and employer of the spouse of the donor for donations over $100 and permitting candidates for legislative office to file annual instead of quarterly campaign finance reports in years they are not running for reelection.

The bill also removes references to paper filing and defines form as an online web page or an electronic document.

House Bill 334 reorganizes the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and requires it to make a finding for each complaint filed, as to whether they are grounded in fact, warranted by law, and filed in good faith.

Both bills are effective July 13.

A new city ordinance proposed by Louisville Councilmember Bill Hollander would create registration and disclosure requirements for lobbying.

The measure defines a lobbyist as any person engaged to influence executive agency decisions or to promote, advocate, or oppose the passage, modification, defeat, or executive approval or veto of any legislation by direct communication with any metro officer or any member of the staff of a metro officer.

This includes individuals employed or engaged by associations, coalitions, or public interest entities to spend a portion of their time influencing the decisions of metro officers.

Lobbyists and employers would be required to register with the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Ethics Commission within seven days of engagement.

In addition to the initial registration statement, each lobbyist and employer would have to file an updated quarterly registration statement with the Ethics Commission on the 15th day of April, July, October, and January of each year.

The required disclosures include expenditures on lobbying, as well as any financial transactions with or for the benefit of any metro officer or any member of the staff of any metro officer.

The measure also prohibits metro officers and other officials from serving as lobbyists for at least two years after leaving their position.

Kentucky State Sen. Stephen Meredith introduced a bill that would prohibit awarding, extending, or renewing state contracts with a bidder or contractor if the company had used a lobbyist to win an earlier version of the contract and the lobbyist was convicted of a related crime within the last five years.

The bill would apply retroactively to state contracts entered into since January 1, 2017.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced a special election on February 22, 2022, to fill the vacancy in Kentucky House District 42 created by the resignation of Rep. Reginald Meeks.

Under state law, when a legislator vacancy occurs while lawmakers are not in session, the Governor may call the special election.

Meeks, who has represented House District 42 since January 2001, announced his retirement December 17, saying that he needed time to focus on his health and family.

The winner of the election will take office as soon as the results are certified by both the Jefferson County Board of Elections and the State Board of Elections.

Kentucky Republicans are projected to sweep the three legislative special elections and retain their supermajority.

Michael ‘Sarge’ Pollock is projected to defeat Democrat Eddie Rogers to win House District 51, filling the vacancy created by the death of Rep. John “Bam” Carney.

Timmy Truett is projected to defeat Democrat Mae Suramek to win House District 89 and succeed former Rep. Robert Goforth, who resigned in August.

Dr. Donald Douglas is projected to defeat Democrat Helen Bukulmez to win Senate District 22, filling the vacancy created by the death of Sen. Tom Buford.

The first special session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on September 9.

Lawmakers passed five bills in the three days of the special session shifting power away from Gov. Andy Beshear to local governments to address the pandemic.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called a special session of the General Assembly to begin Tuesday, September 7.

The call comes two weeks after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled a lower court was wrong to block new laws limiting the scope of the governor’s emergency powers, giving the Republicans’ legislative supermajority a substantial say over any new policy measures to address the pandemic.

The session will focus on legislation addressing the pandemic, but Beshear is asking lawmakers to consider a few unrelated matters.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams announced that special elections will be held on November 2 to fill three vacancies in the General Assembly per writs of election issued by Gov. Andy Beshear.

Voters will choose two new state representatives and one state senator.

House District 51 was vacated by the death of Rep. John “Bam” Carney; House District 89 was vacated by the resignation of Rep. Robert Goforth; and Senate District 22 was vacated by the death of Sen. Tom Buford.