Kentucky lawmakers face packed agenda to wrap up session

Published 5:35 am Monday, March 29, 2021

Kentucky lawmakers return Monday to deal with a packed agenda headlined by a stack of gubernatorial vetoes as they head into the final two-day stretch of this year’s session.

The Republican-led legislature is expected to take up override votes on Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes of bills ranging from scholarship tax credits to how a U.S. Senate seat is filled if a vacancy occurs.

Lawmakers could consider several high-profile bills that haven’t yet cleared the legislature. The proposals would curb no-knock police warrants, relax early voting rules and shield businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits. The state’s multibillion-dollar transportation budget is also pending.

One of the biggest showdowns is likely to come on the Democratic governor’s veto of a bill to allow a form of scholarship tax credits to pay for private school tuition in several of the state’s most populated counties. Many public school advocates oppose the proposal.

The 30-day legislative session ends Tuesday.