December Volume 31, No. 8 County clerks’ group talks Many ways to elections with lawmakers follow the by Rebecca Hanchett 2019 Regular LRC Public Information FRANKFORT--How to give more leeway to Session FRANKFORT – When the Kentucky Kentucky voters who want to cast ballots before Senate and House of Representatives begin Election Day was considered by state lawmakers the General Assembly’s 2019 Regular Ses- on Nov. 28 during committee testimony from sion on Jan. 8, citizens will have many ways the Kentucky County Clerks Association. to stay connected to legislative action. Although Kentucky voters can cast absentee The Kentucky Legislature Home Page ballots in-person or by mail during set periods (www.lrc.ky.gov) is updated daily to pro- before an election with a valid excuse, Rep. Jerry vide the latest legislative information. Web Miller, R-Louisville, told the Interim Joint Com- surfers can view the issues before lawmak- mittee on Local Government that many hospital ers by browsing through bill summaries, and air transport workers in his area have dif- Interim Joint Committee on Local Government Co-Chair amendments and resolutions. The website ficulty voting because of their changeable work Rep. Rob Rothenburger, R-Shelbyville, comments during is regularly updated to indicate each bill’s schedules. the committee’s Nov. 28 meeting in Frankfort. status in the legislative process, as well as “Inside the two-week period for requesting the next day’s committee-meeting schedule an absentee (ballot) they learn they’re going to tions, Summe told the committee. and agendas. be in Shanghai or Anchorage, Alaska on Election “My county is huge, so even if I had three In addition to general information Day, and at that point it’s just too late for them voting centers ... how would I fund that? Where about the legislative process, the website to vote,” Miller said. He asked Kentucky County would I have them? How would I pay (election provides information on each of Kentucky’s Clerks Association (KCCA) President and Ken- workers)?” she asked. senators and representatives, including ton County Clerk Gabrielle Summe if consider- No broad support for early voting was their phone numbers, addresses and legis- ation has been given to expanding absentee vot- voiced by the committee although Rep. Steve lative committee assignments. ing so those workers have more options. Riggs, D-Louisville, mentioned early voting as a Citizens are also welcome to see pro- As a county clerk in Northern Kentucky -- possibility. Riggs said the state’s two-step mail-in ceedings in person in the State Capitol’s which is home to the Cincinnati/Northern Ken- absentee ballot process—which requires a voter legislative chambers and committee rooms, tucky International Airport—Summe said she to turn in an absentee ballot application before which are open to the public. understands the challenge of meeting the voting receiving a mail-in ballot—is “cumbersome.” Those who can’t make the trip to needs of airport workers. But she cautioned that “The way we do it now is more than 100 Frankfort can tune in to chamber pro- providing options may come with added costs years old with very few changes,” Riggs said. “It ceedings and committee meetings on The for counties, asking lawmakers to consider how keeps people from voting because it’s not as con- Kentucky Channel, KET KY. Kentucky sustainable some changes may be. Early voting, specifically, raises certain ques- Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 THE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1 County clerks, Pension plans need ongoing from page 1 venient as it needs to be. I’m not sure we need attention, oversight panel told that in a democracy.” by Rebecca Hanchett Summe said some changes may be neces- LRC Public Information sary, but asked that lawmakers consider that ear- ly voting in addition to voting on Election Day FRANKFORT— Funding for Kentucky’s would be “expensive.” And those costs, she said, public pension systems continues to be a chal- will draw money away from counties. lenge, a state retirement official told a state pen- “So you have to really, I think, have a conver- sion oversight board on Nov. 26. sation, which I would love to have,” said Summe. With the KERS (Kentucky Employees Retire- Senate Majority Caucus Chair Dan Seum, ment System) nonhazardous plan now less than R-Fairdale, told Summe he is concerned about a 13 percent funded with around $13.5 billion in lack of poll workers in the state. He asked about unfunded liabilities – making it the worst-fund- worker pay, which Summe said is set by each ed of all the state’s pension plans – Kentucky county. In her county, she said poll workers are Retirement Systems (KRS) Executive Director paid $20 per two-hour training class and $150 David Eager told the Public Pension Oversight for a 12-hour Election Day shift. Board that legislative attention is needed. Seum said the dearth of workers poses some “We’re pretty close to pay as you go on KERS real problems for election operations. nonhazardous,” Eager said, explaining to the “The danger now I think … if we’re getting board that pension funds have decreased as re- a shortage of poll workers, now we’re going to tirements rise and payroll contributions fall. Public Pension Oversight Board Co-Chair Rep. Jerry Miller, think about combining precincts, which then, “If we receive no contribution and no invest- now you’ve got travel time, the poll is now far- R-Louisville, fields questions during the Nov. 26 meeting of ment income, it’d be insolvent in two years,” Ea- the committee in Frankfort. ther away from someone. So that’s a danger,” he ger said of the KERS nonhazardous plan. “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to get contribu- Continued on page 87 tions and hopefully we’re going to get investment income. (But) we’re in a very fragile state.” KRS’ County Employees Retirement System Some good news shared by Eager and KRS (CERS) nonhazardous pension plan’s funding , Deputy Executive Director Karen Roggenkamp level dipped only slightly from 52.8 percent to 2019 Session indicates that the unfunded liability for KRS 52.7 percent in 2018, accompanied by a slight from page 1 overall decreased by $450 million between 2017 uptick in the pension plan’s unfunded liability, and 2018, thanks mostly to a decrease in the un- according to a state legislative actuarial and fi- Educational Television also provides online funded liability of retiree health insurance plans. nancial update provided to the board. streaming of its legislative coverage at KET.org/ “So we gained $450 million on that unfund- Showing improvement is the Teachers’ Re- legislature. ed,” Eager said. tirement System, the state’s retirement system Citizens can also use toll-free phone lines to The KRS actuarial review excluded legislative for Kentucky’s active and retired educators. The follow legislative action and offer their input to changes made under 2018 Senate Bill 151 – the funding level for the TRS pension plan increased lawmakers. Those who want to give lawmakers 2018 General Assembly’s pension reform bill – from 56.4 percent to 57.7 percent in 2018, ac- feedback on issues under consideration can call which was pending a ruling from the Kentucky cording to the legislative update, while the pen- the Legislative Message Line at 800-372-7181. Supreme Court at the time of the board meeting. sion system’s unfunded liability was unchanged. Those who prefer to offer their feedback in The Supreme Court has since declared SB 151 The unfunded liability for the state’s pension Spanish can call the General Assembly's Span- unconstitutional largely on procedural grounds. plans overall (including KRS, TRS, and the Judi- ish Line at 866-840-6574. Citizens with hearing A special legislative session called by the gover- cial Retirement Plan and Legislators Retirement impairments can use the TTY Message Line at nor on Dec. 17 to consider pension issues ad- Plan) totals $37.97 billion for 2018 – an increase 800-896-0305. journed after two days, with legislative leaders of $430 million over previous levels, according to A taped message containing information saying more time was needed to reach a consen- preliminary numbers included in the legislative on the daily schedule for legislative committee sus on the issue. update. meetings is available by calling the Legislative Calendar Line at 800-633-9650. Citizens can write to any legislator by A special legislative session called by the governor on Dec. 17 sending a letter with a lawmaker's name on it to: Legislative Offices, 702 Capitol Ave., Frankfort, to consider pension issues adjourned after two days, KY 40601. with legislative leaders saying more time was needed The 2019 session is expected to last 30 working days and is scheduled to adjourn on to reach a consensus on the issue. March 29. 2 2018 Interim LEGISLATIVE RECORD 2019 Regular Session Calendar THE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3 General 2018 Assembly Senate Julie Raque Adams (36) Jimmy Higdon (14) John Schickel (11) 213 S Lyndon Lane 344 N Spalding PO Box 991 Louisville, KY 40222 Lebanon, KY 40033 Union, KY 41091 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (Home) 270-692-6945 Wil Schroder (24) Ralph Alvarado (28) Paul Hornback (20) 702 Capitol Ave 3250 McClure Road 6102 Cropper Rd Annex Room 209 Winchester, KY 40391 Shelbyville, KY 40065 Frankfort, KY 40601 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 Joe Bowen (8) Stan Humphries (1) Dan “Malano” Seum (38) 2031 Fieldcrest Dr 763 Sinking Fork Rd 1107 Holly Ave Owensboro, KY 42301 Cadiz, KY 42211 Fairdale, KY 40118 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (LRC) 502-564-8100 (Home) 270-685-1859 (Home) 270-522-0195 (Home) 502-749-2859 Tom Buford (22) Ray S.