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.

Kentucky Rep. Robert Goforth, who won reelection despite facing criminal charges for allegedly choking a woman during a domestic dispute, resigned from his House District 89 seat.

A House panel dismissed a citizen’s impeachment petition seeking his removal from office after determining impeachment does not apply to legislators under the state’s constitution.

Gov. Andy Beshear will set the date for a special election to fill the seat.

The 2021 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly adjourned sine die on March 30.

Among the measures passed is Senate Bill 6, which requires the executive branch ethics commission to establish standards of ethical conduct for all transition team members, and to specifically address the role of transition team members who are or were registered lobbyists.

The bill requires transition team members to disclose positions held outside state government and all sources of compensation for the 12 months prior to transition team service.

This bill is effective June 28, 2021.

The Kentucky General Assembly voted to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2022 ballot authorizing the Legislature to change the legislative session end dates with a three-fifths vote in each chamber.

The proposed amendment also authorizes the Senate president and House speaker to jointly call special sessions lasting up to 12 days annually.

Currently, only the governor can call a special session.

The amendment also removes specific legislative session end dates from the constitution and instead provides legislative sessions in odd-numbered years are limited to 30 legislative days and sessions in even-numbered years are limited to 60 legislative days.

The amendment also changes the date legislation is effective from 90 days after the General Assembly adjourns sine die to July 1 or 90 days after signed into law, whichever is later.

This constitutional amendment will be effective upon voter approval.

Kentucky voters defeated a constitutional amendment that would have increased the terms of office for district judges and commonwealth attorneys in each circuit court district.

The amendment would have also increased the requirement for district judges of being a licensed attorney from two years to eight years.

The failure of the amendment keeps the term of office at four years for district judges and six years for a commonwealth attorney in each circuit court district.

As of Wednesday morning, with 96% of votes counted, the measure was defeated by 38%.

The Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission passed an emergency regulation and provided guidance on a passed bill.

This bill passed amends registration requirements for executive agency lobbying.

Effective July 1, Senate Bill 157 requires the initial registration statement to include compensation paid to, or received by, each executive agency lobbyist, employer, and real party in interest as part of the engagement.

The emergency regulation provides the procedures for filing lobbyist forms and includes changes to the lobbyist forms.

In addition, electronic fillable forms and instructions will be posted on the commission’s website soon.

In the regular reminder notices, the new forms and revisions will also be addressed.

Each lobbyist, employer and real party in interest receives these notices.

All initial registration and updated registration statements must now be submitted using the 2020 revised forms.

Additionally, a credit card payment app will be available starting July 1.

The commission also extended the filing period deadline for the required updated registration filing forms and registration fee payment from July 31 to August 31 due to COVID-19.

The 154th regular session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die on April 16.

The Republican supermajority in both the House and Senate voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of Senate Bill 2.

Senate bill 2 requires voters to present government-issued photo identification in order to cast a ballot beginning with the November general election.

Additionally, a passed bill proposing a constitutional amendment will appear on the November ballot.

The amendment will increase the term of office for district judges from four years to eight years beginning in 2022.

The Kentucky General Assembly’s 2020 session will reconvene on April 14, one day earlier than previously announced.

Lawmakers will consider overriding vetoes cast by Gov. Andy Beshear.

The governor’s time to veto recently passed bills expires on April 13.

Lawmakers also have the option to convene on April 15, the latest possible day they can meet in regular session this year under state constitution guidelines.