Legislators set to begin second month of 2022 General Assembly session

The Kentucky General Assembly is heading into the second month of the 2022 session with plenty of work left to do, though early progress has been made on the top priority—the biennial budget.

The House already approved its own version of the budget and state Senator Whitney Westerfield of Christian County says he’s been making the priorities of his district known to leadership in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, state Representative Walker Thomas of Hopkinsville is again sponsoring legislation that would exempt military retirees’ pensions from the state income tax and he believes it would be a big win-win for everyone.

There has been much discussion on social media and elsewhere about increased automobile property tax bills this year with inflated costs of used automobiles and Representative Myron Dossett of Pembroke says his legislation freezing values at 2021 levels has gotten a good response.

Meanwhile, a judge is set to hear a motion filed by the Kentucky Attorney General’s office that challenges new redistricting boundaries. Lawmakers overrode some of Governor Andy Beshear’s vetoes, making the new districts official. The Kentucky Democratic Party has sued, and the latest motion by the Attorney General’s office is expected to be heard Wednesday in Franklin Circuit Court.