Sen. Steve Rawlings

Maddy summarySB 31 designates October 14 of each year as "Charlie Kirk Day" in Kentucky. The bill creates a new section in Kentucky law to recognize this date, encouraging Kentuckians to reflect on Charlie Kirk's legacy of promoting civic engagement and free speech advocacy. It does not impose new legal requirements or obligations but serves as a symbolic observance honoring his work as a conservative activist and media figure. The designation applies statewide, with no specific requirements for government action or public participation.

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 512 to define terms; make criminal atmospheric pollution a Class D felony; require that a person found guilty of criminal atmospheric pollution pay a civil penalty of not less than $500,000 in addition to all other penalties authorized by law; provide that each day that a person engages in criminal atmospheric pollution constitutes a separate offense; empower all peace officers of the Commonwealth to enforce the prohibition on criminal atmospheric pollution; require an arresting officer to issue a notice to any federal agency that approved the action that those activities cannot be lawfully carried out in the Commonwealth.

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 158 to define terms; prohibit a school district, public school, or cooperative board from providing differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin; prohibit the Kentucky Department of Education, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion; prohibit the department, a school district, a public school, or a cooperative board from soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, from providing differential treatment or benefits to an individual based on the individual's participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and from disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion; establish exclusions; authorize the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the department, a school district, a public school or a cooperative board to comply; create a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against a the department, a school district, a cooperative board, or a public school for injunctive relief arising from a violation of this Act; permit recovery of monetary damages for a willful and intentional violation; waive sovereign, governmental, and qualified immunity; prohibit retaliation; require each public school district and cooperative board to provide the State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and compensation information of each employee of the school district or cooperative board each month for publication; amend KRS 161.030 to require certain certification applicants to complete an approved professional development program on Kentucky education law; amend KRS 158.4416 and 158.4414 to conform; amend KRS 160.380 to remove language requiting targeted minority recruitment; amend various KRS sections to conform; repeal KRS 156.500 and 161.165; require school districts and cooperative boards to follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; require the Kentucky Department of Education to eliminate the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act including termination or transfer of certain employees; EFFECTIVE, in part, February 1, 2027; EMERGENCY.

Amend KRS 161.155 to require school districts to establish a policy by July 1, 2030, to provide up to 30 days maternity leave to each teacher and employee who gives birth; require school districts to pay the actuarial costs of sick leave to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) for future sick leave accruals in excess of 12 days each year; provide that the state will pay the actuarial costs for sick leave accrued as of June 30, 2025, plus up to 12 days accrued each year after June 30, 2025; provide that actuarial costs for sick leave for associations and agencies listed under KRS 161.220(4)(d) and (f) will be paid by the employer rather than the state; require each school district to annually report sick leave balances to TRS beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and specify contents of the report; amend KRS 161.400 to require TRS to annually report in the annual actuarial valuation the total liabilities and costs of the sick leave program created by KRS 161.155 and the annual leave program created by KRS 161.540(1)(f); amend KRS 161.643 to include new sick leave reporting requirements in the annual statutory reporting requirements for TRS employers; provide that the Auditor of Public Accounts shall perform a special audit of the sick leave program to ensure sick leave balances and costs are being reported correctly for the TRS, to determine if any entities are being provided retirement coverage in the system through participating employers listed in statute, and to require the system to pay the costs of the audit; EMERGENCY.

Urge the Energy and Environment Cabinet to explore and implement strategies to remove waste tires from Kentucky's streams and waterways and to submit a report on or before December 1, 2025, to the Legislative Research Commission providing legislative recommendations for doing so.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SR 244) honors Dr. James Votruba, former Northern Kentucky University president (1997-2012), by adjourning the Senate in his memory following his death on March 19, 2025. It expresses the Senate's sympathy, directs the adjournment as a tribute, and instructs the Clerk to deliver a copy to his family. As a commemorative resolution with no policy changes, it affects no individuals or groups through legislative action. The resolution was adopted by voice vote on March 28, 2025.

Maddy summarySCR 223 is a ceremonial resolution designating the America's River Roots Festival as an official 250th anniversary celebration event for Kentucky. It recognizes the festival's role in highlighting the state's Ohio River Valley heritage, including cultural traditions, music, cuisine, and bourbon history. The resolution urges Kentucky's Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to formally designate the festival (October 8-12, 2025) as part of the Commonwealth's 250th-anniversary observance, aiming to promote tourism and economic growth. As a procedural resolution, it does not create new laws but provides official recognition.

Maddy summarySCR 34 is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late journalist Patrick "Pat" J. Crowley. It directs the Kentucky General Assembly to adjourn in his memory and expresses condolences to his family. The resolution recognizes Crowley's 27-year career in journalism, his work covering Kentucky politics, and his community contributions, but contains no policy changes or funding provisions. As a commemorative resolution, it has no direct impact on legislation or constituents.

Maddy summarySB 84 changes how Kentucky courts review decisions made by state agencies. It requires courts to review all legal questions "from scratch" (de novo) instead of deferring to agency interpretations of laws or regulations. Courts must also resolve any remaining ambiguities in favor of limiting agency authority. This directly affects state agencies (like health or education departments) and the courts that review their actions under Kentucky law. The bill modifies existing judicial review procedures without creating new agency policies.

Maddy summarySB 19 requires all Kentucky public elementary and secondary schools to observe a one- to two-minute silent reflection period at the start of each school day. This applies to every public school in the state, with participation strictly voluntary for students who may choose to meditate, pray, or engage in any silent activity. The policy mandates that teachers cannot instruct students on what to do during this time and requires schools to notify parents about the practice. It amends existing law to formalize this daily reflection period while maintaining neutrality about individual student choices.