Kentucky Political News Headlines

Monday, May 31, 2021

Interim Session Set to Begin



Interim Session Set to Begin

Legislators will return to Frankfort on June 1 as the Interim Session of the Kentucky General Assembly gets underway. A quick refresher on the Interim Session:

  • Committees meet jointly as House and Senate legislative committees combine to create the Interim Joint Committees. 

  • These committees will meet monthly to discuss issues that will be considered during the next session and to receive updates on issues from the past session.

  • No votes are taken. The Interim is a time for taking testimony, studying issues, and forging compromises in advance of the next legislative session. 


Schedule & Monitoring

The Legislative Research Commission published the Interim schedule for the remainder of the year and the full calendar can be found here. Access to the Capitol and Capitol Annex remains restricted, so the majority of these legislative meetings will be livestreamed on KET or the LRC's YouTube channel. We will be monitoring the meetings and providing updates on issues of interest.


Key Issues

The long-term impacts of COVID-19 will continue to dominate the policy discussion this summer. We expect legislative discussions around the impact on COVID to run the gambit from K-12 learning loss to the allocation of Kentucky's remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The focus of the 2022 Legislative Session will be the biennial budget for FY23 and FY24, but the redistricting of legislative seats based on the new census data will also play a major role in the tone of the 2022 Session. Due to the timing of the census data release and the reliance on that data to create the new legislative districts, the candidate filing deadline—usually the first week of January—could be impacted. We expect to learn more as that deadline nears.


COVID Lingers

Even with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions across the state, the Legislative Research Commission is likely to continue enforcing restricted access into the Capitol Annex. This means in-person access to legislative committees will be limited to legislators and those testifying in committees, and all legislator visits must be scheduled and approved ahead of time to gain access to the building. 


The Government Strategies team will continue providing you updates on items of interest discussed by the Interim committees, relevant political news, and general updates as the legislative focus shifts to preparing for the 2022 Session. Even with limited access to the Capitol and Annex, we anticipate a surge of activity as legislative activity and lobbying returns to normal.


We Are On Twitter

In addition to our regular email updates, we are excited to announce our new Twitter account to help us with real-time news distribution, sharing updates and happenings from our clients, and keeping up with all-things Kentucky Legislature. Follow us at @GovStrategiesKY and stay tuned as we develop this new communication outlet.


Thursday, May 13, 2021

Announcement - Jena Scott Joins Firm


JENA SCOTT JOINS GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES


 

Scott brings wide range of experience in communications, public policy, and political strategy 


FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 13, 2021) - Government Strategies today announced that Jena Scott has joined the firm to lead its client and external communications and provide support to the firm's direct lobbying and advocacy PR practices.


Government Strategies is a full-service government relations firm with decades of experience. The firm helps clients meet their government affairs goals by blending key relationships with tools such as advocacy communications, grassroots network development, association and coalition management, bill analysis and drafting. Government Strategies' business model focuses on merging these skills to develop long-term relationships with clients and provide winning results. 


"We are absolutely thrilled to have Jena join Government Strategies," said Rachel Bayens, a Government Strategies partner. "She has significant and unique experience in communications and public policy strategy in Kentucky and will be an outstanding addition to our team."


Scott most recently served as the Communications Manager for the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. She has a diverse professional background with a wide range of experience in communications, public policy, and political strategy. She previously held the Deputy Communications Director role for the Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus. 


"I am honored to join the team at Government Strategies," said Scott. "Their commitment to results and tireless advocacy for their clients is unparalleled. I look forward to complimenting their client services with my knowledge of advocacy communications, the state legislative process, and the needs of Kentucky's largest industries."


Scott's focus will be on client communications, legislative activity, grassroots networking, and public relations.


Government Strategies was founded in 1999 and has directed the government relations strategy for some of Kentucky's largest corporations and most influential trade associations. 


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For more information about Government Strategies, please visit www.govplan.com.


Other members of Government Strategies pictured below:



Rachel Bayens

Dustin Miller

Mike Shea
Prentice Harvey
Mike Helton