I’m Just a Bill
You know that Schoolhouse Rock song about how a bill becomes a law? The one that goes, "I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill..." It explains the legislative process in a fun and catchy way. I certainly credit it with my knowledge about how a bill does or doesn’t become a law.
Okay, so now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm bringing this up. Granted, Schoolhouse Rock is talking about the federal legislative process, they miss quite a few things. The part that really matters? That legislation can come from the top down. With the Kentucky General Assembly in session, there are a lot of bills that affect Midway. It’s why I'm involved and talking to our Elected Officials. But I don't come to you with great news. We have a piece of legislation that threatens Midway's commitment to fairness and one that might cost the taxpayers and city valuable money: Senate Bill 60.
Okay, What’s in SB60?
According to The Fairness Campaign, Senate Bill 60 would open the door for national interest groups to sue local governments based on their Fairness Ordinances. Here's a little history for you: Midway, Versailles, and Woodford County all have Fairness Ordinances, protecting anyone from discrimination. All “state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and policies” could be subverted by someone asserting “religious freedom,” including domestic violence laws, property laws, trespass laws, contract laws, civil rights laws, and more (and yes the words in quotation marks are directly from the bill). SB60 also adds such broad language that it could be used in lawsuits between private parties, forcing private litigants to prove the government’s interest in the enforcement of certain laws, something that has been proven time and time again not to be a priority for the majority of folks. As it is currently written, there are no protections for cities like Midway, which have Fairness Ordinances (Ours has been around for 10 years now). This would mean the City (and our taxpayer dollars) could be in a lawsuit, proving very costly with legal fees if there were a verdict against the City of Midway.
What’s next?
Senate Bill 60 passed the Senate. It now moves on to the House, where it is awaiting a committee assignment, which I assume won't be much longer. I have already emailed our Elected Officials in Frankfort, with my opposition. I urge you to share your thoughts with them as well. I have listed resources below:
Representative Dan Fister
Bill Language linked here.
Fairness Campaign Resources on SB 60
