2018 General Assembly - off to a rocky start

The Kentucky General Assembly got off to a slow start as leadership in the House began as a murky mess. At this writing, the post of House Speaker remains empty.

Representative Jeff Hoover, announced his attention to resign from his role as House Speaker this fall after a sexual harassment scandal broke. House rules say that leadership posts are elected by the whole House (a polite fiction because the ruling party elects leadership. Nevertheless, Hoover's resignation had to be during the Session, not before it gaveled in on January 2^nd. Hoover had second thoughts and gave a fiery speech on the floor of the House, blaming other members of the GOP for his troubles, most prominently Governor Bevin. Soon after he said his piece, he resigned as speaker.

Leadership in the House is now


House Speaker Vacant		House Speaker Pro Tempore David Osborne


Majority Floor Leader Jonathan Shell	Majority Caucus Chair David Meade	Majority Whip Kevin D. Bratcher


Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins	Minority Caucus Chair Dennis Keene	Minority Whip Wilson Stone

The GOP controlled Senate has been a quieter place. The LRC website lists leadership of the Senate as:


Senate President Robert Stivers		Senate President Pro Tempore Jimmy Higdon


Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer	Majority Caucus Chair Dan Seum	Majority Whip Mike Wilson


Minority Floor Leader Ray S. Jones II	Minority Caucus Chair Dorsey Ridley	Minority Whip Dennis Parrett

2018 is an even numbered year which means a long session, beginning in early January and wrapping up with a veto session in April. It's also a budget year. This will Republican Governor Matt Bevin's second since his election in 2015. His first in 2016 cut higher education by 17%. State colleges and universities have been told that there are more cuts to come.

Bevin has banged the drum for several months about the state's pension crisis. Subdivisions of state government, local governments, school systems, and the aforementioned colleges and universities, are anticipating higher pension contribution costs and budgets cuts.

On Tuesday, January 16^th, Governor Bevin will depart from earlier executives and combine the budget address with a state of the state address to both houses of the General Assembly. His remarks will air on KET at 6:00 CDT.

It does not promise to be a fun session.