LRC Public Information: Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, presents Senate Bill 10 during the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

More than 300 bills have been filed this session, however, very few have received a committee hearing and only one bill has passed a single chamber. The House version of the state budget has not been released yet but is anticipated to be released in the next week or two.  

A few bills impacting counties did receive a committee hearing this week:  

SB17, sponsored by Sen. Matthew Deneen, received a hearing this week in the Senate State and Local committee. The Kentucky Coroners Association testified that the bill would create efficiencies for families and coroners by issuing an initial medical certification and removing the cumbersome process of issuing two death certificates when a death is unknown or under investigation.

SB10, sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel, was also heard in the Senate State and Local committee this week. The bill would propose an amendment to the constitution to move elections for state constitutional officers, including the governor’s race, to even-numbered years beginning after the 2027 election.

LRC Public Information: Rep. Shawn McPherson, R-Scottsville, (left) hugs Rep. Brandon Reed, R-Hodgenville, after Reed said goodbye to fellow House members on Friday. Reed is resigning from the legislature to work as a policy director for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

All 100 House districts and odd-numbered Senate districts are up for election this year. The filing deadline for candidates who must run in a primary was Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, while independents have until April 1, 2024, to file. 

To all my friends serving the people of Kentucky through county government:

Since April of 2001, it has been my honor, and more importantly my pleasure, to serve the counties of Kentucky as Director of Financial Services here at the Kentucky Association of Counties. 

As much as I have loved serving in this capacity, it, like all good things, must come to an end. It is with mixed emotions that I would like to announce my retirement as of Jan. 31, 2024.  

In the most recent freeze, roughly 50 locations insured by KACo All Lines Fund dealt with bursting pipes at a cost of about $4.1 million. This upcoming weather pattern is setting up the same circumstances.



This week the National Weather Service has issued not one, but two, special weather alerts highlighting what is expected to be a very active weather situation. The primary area of concern is west of I-65, but impacts will be felt throughout the state.

On a list of winter driving hazards, black ice ranks high. A clear glaze that forms on surfaces because of a light freezing rain or because of melting and refreezing of snow or ice, black ice is especially dangerous because it looks like regular black pavement to drivers

Registration renewals, title transfers and other vehicle-related transactions resumed this week at county clerk offices as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) launched its new vehicle information system.  

Those services had been temporarily unavailable since Dec. 29 to complete the transfer of more than 350 million records to the Kentucky Automated Vehicle Information System (KAVIS). 

If you are a member of the KACo Property and Liability Fund, you should have received your Statement of Values (SOV) back in November.

As a reminder, the SOV lists your property values from last year adjusted for inflation and should be reviewed for accuracy and returned by Jan. 19, 2024. 

Getting your property values right has never been more important. 

The Housing Corporation has a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Housing Supply Gap Analysis. The housing supply gap analysis will engage a range of partners to develop a better understanding of the existing housing market and identify strategies to increase the supply of missing housing.