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Kentucky Regulation Bill Introduced

Employer's Practical Advice

The Kentucky Senate’s State and Local Government Committee has recommended a change to the state constitution to give the General Assembly more authority over regulations issued by the governor.

The vote was 8 to 3, along party lines, with Republicans supporting the measure and Democrats opposing it.       

Senator Joe Bowen says they’re issued by unelected bureaucrats. The Owensboro lawmaker chairs the State and Local Government panel.

Director of the Kentucky Resources Council Tom Fitzgerald says there’s no reason to change the law. He says the current process balances power among the three branches of government. If state agencies issue regulations that do not comply with existing laws, says Fitzgerald, the courts can throw them out.

Currently, the General Assembly passes laws, the executive branch enforces them through regulation and the courts determine if those laws or regulations are constitutional.

If the Kentucky Legislature were to pass the bill, it would go on the statewide ballot for voters to decide. Even if the legislation called Senate Bill 2 passes in the Senate, it could well die in the Democratically-controlled House.

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