18th of January 2025 - Ian VanSteenbergh
FRANKFORT LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW
The Kentucky Legislative Session just gaveled in for 2025. It may or may not come as a surprise, but I'm watching what's going on in Frankfort. Not only because I want to see what my elected officials are up to, but because a lot of the issues that we deal with as a City are addressed by the General Assembly. In fact, there are a lot of things we can't do as a City, but the State (through our Representative and State Senator) can. Sometimes are hands are truly tried, like trying to fix excessive speeding on Midway Road/Winter Street. Whether you are a politico or aren't very interested in politics, we have someone working for (or against) us, which is something everyone should pay attention to.
2025 Statewide LGBTQ+ Leaders Summit
The Fairness Campaign, in conjunction with JustFundKY, hosted a Statewide LGBTQ+ Leader Summit at the Louisville Pride Center. This was a collection of news outlets, nonprofits, elected officials, and other various organizations. As one of the few openly LGBTQ+ elected officials, I was proud to attend and hear from folks all over the state. It was a day of community building, networking, and hearing about the anti-LGBTQ+ bills that are proposed in this year's General Assembly.
Balloon Releases, Fairness Ordinances, and the World Health Organization
Just like the title says, there's a lot going on in Frankfort this session. There's a lot to comment on, but as a Councilmember, here's what I'm keeping my eyes on:
House Bill 16: Water Fluoridation
This bill would allow local governments and the governing bodies of water treatment plants to make Fluoride optional in their water systems. This would mean that the City of Midway has to decide if we want to keep Fluoride in the water or remove it.
House Bill 64: Overturning Governor Beshear's Conversion Therapy Ban
Let's be honest, Conversion Therapy has no place here in Midway or Kentucky. It's why I have long supported Governor Beshear's Executive Order banning the harmful practice, that is proven to not work and only cause further harm. I find it disheartening that legislators would seek to overturn the Governor's Executive Order, making conversion therapy legal again. Hate has no home here.
House Bill 153: Legal Liability on Local Governments
If I'm entirely honest, this bill is extremely vague and broad. It considers that if there are any damages, especially in a "riot", that the city takes all legal responsibility. The bill explains that if a government "could have prevented the damage" it is liable for any injuries or damage. This is increasingly vague and I think we can all agree that the statement could be applied very differently, considering who considers what could have been prevented.
Senate Bill 60/House BIll 177: Anti-Fairness Law
Midway was the 8th city in Kentucky to pass a Fairness Ordinance, ensuring that no one shall be discriminated against. Seems like a good idea, right? Unfortunately, lawmakers in Frankfort would like to take that away from us. They would rather tell us how to run our cities. It's been almost 10 years since we passed the Fairness Ordinance, why are lawmakers pushing to get rid of it? I'll be emailing legislators in Frankfort and I hope you join me, sending a message that what we do in our city should be our decision, not the state's!