FRANKFORT, Ky. — Billions in spending, new laws and opportunities filled the 28 bills sent to Gov. Andy Beshear's desk Tuesday night as time ran out on the 2021 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.
The senate adjourned "sine die," which means lawmakers headed home until next year - or until the call of a special legislative session.
Here's a look at what lawmakers accomplihed before the clock struck midnight:
Just before midnight, lawmakers passed the West End Opportunity Bill, HB 321. The bipartisan legislation offers investment and economic solutions to Louisville's West End. The effort will focus on preventing gentrification, partly by freezing property taxes for those already living in the area in January of this year for the length of the plan.
Both chambers also passed SB 270 Tuesday afternoon, which will create a relationship between Simmons College and Kentucky State University, two HBCUs in the state. The relationship will aim to bring more Black teachers to the schools and include health benefits for neighborhoods around Simmons College.
SB 4, which limits no-knock warrants, passed unanimously in the Senate and state reps agreed that it was a good step. However, critics said the bill doesn't go far enough.
"Don't you dare ever propose to know what it's like to be less than, what it's like to be in a country that disowns you, what it's like to be lynched, what it's like to be raped, what it's like to be nothing," Rep. Pamela Stevenson said in a passionate speech Tuesday.
A bill titled "juvenile justice," SB 36, was gutted to make way for a quarter billion dollars in federal funds for water, sewer and drug treatment projects in Kentucky. It passed unanimously.
What didn't make the cut? HB 580, which would have raised gas taxes and added fees for using electric and hybrid cars, broke down before midnight.
Governor Beshear now has ten days to decide whether to veto anything passed this week. Unlike last week, the General Assembly can't do anything about the ones Beshear decides to veto.
Contact reporter Chris Williams at cwilliams@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@chriswnews) and Facebook.
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