State Government

The legislature dedicated $300 million to expand broadband internet in underserved parts of the state, $250 million for water and wastewater projects, $575 million to start repaying the state’s unemployment insurance loans, and $127 million for school construction and renovation.

Kentucky lawmakers revived a bill limiting no-knock warrants on the last day of the legislative session.

One override, of the governor's veto of HB 312, will allow the legislative branch to judge for itself which records to produce in an open records request. A Democratic lawmaker said it was like "the fox watching the hen house."

Most Kentucky districts already have full-day kindergarten but a key swing vote on the controversial school choice bill appeared to hinge on the kindergarten funding.

The Republican-led legislature will likely override Beshear’s vetoes when lawmakers return for the final two days of this year’s session on Monday and Tuesday.

The governor also vetoed six bills, including a resolution ratifying some of his coronavirus-related executive orders in case laws stripping the Democratic governor’s emergency powers are upheld in court.

The governor's veto list included HB 312, restricting out-of-state records requests and allowing the legislature to have final authority on whether to release its own records.

The extension gives individuals until May 17 to file their income tax returns.

The limit is $30 for a 30-day supply.

Tuesday was the last day the Republican-led legislature can pass bills and still have the chance to override any vetoes issued by Beshear, a Democrat. Lawmakers will return to consider veto overrides during the final two days of the legislative session on March 29 and 30.

The bill would make it a Class B misdemeanor if someone “accosts, insults, taunts, or challenges a law enforcement officer with offensive or derisive words, or by gestures or other physical contact, that would have a direct tendency to provoke a violent response from the perspective of a reasonable and prudent person.”

Though the bill originally dealt with limiting how long the governor’s emergency orders remain in effect to 15 days, it was changed to focus instead on removing references to specific emergencies Thursday morning in a committee substitute.