Kentucky Pension Reform Bill Could Be Imminent
Bill is being analyzed in accordance with impact on state budget.
Although a Kentucky pension reform bill has yet to be signed, it appears as if the mood is set to change, WDRB News reports.
According to WDRB, lawmakers are expecting a bill to be filed “within days.”
“We’ve had some issues that have kind of knocked us off the track, but we’re ready to get back on the track now,” House Majority Whip Kevin Bratcher told the publication.
The issues Bratcher is referring to are regarding a sexual harassment scandal involving Speaker Jeff Hoover, which derailed chances of a special session at the end of last year, as well as consuming the first week of legislation.
According to WDRB, the bill is being analyzed in accordance with how it will affect the state budget, which goes into effect July 1. It also seems that Kentuckians will be getting a very different bill than what Gov. Matt Bevin proposed in October, such as dismissing the idea to transfer current employees into a 401(k)-style plan after 27 years of service.
“I’m hopeful that sometime this week, we can get a bill filed,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer told WDRB. “It’s going to be watered down from the original proposal, there’s no getting around that.”
The bill will need 51 votes to pass, and while Democratic support may be a challenge, Bratcher remains optimistic.
“It’s something we have to tackle,” Bratcher said. “We cannot continue to kick the can down the road, and we’re not going to.”