Each week during the session, Robert Kahne and Jazmin Smith of My Old Kentucky Podcast list their Good Bill and Bad Bill of the week, along with why those bills are good or bad.
Bad Bill: SB 11 – Rental Damage
The bill is about renter property damage, and is sponsored by Sen. Jon Schnickel.
Summary: Create a new section of KRS Chapter 512 to specify that a tenant who, having no right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe that he or she has such right, intentionally or wantonly defaces, destroys, or damages residential rental property is to be charged with violating KRS 512.020, 512.030, or 512.040 as appropriate.
This bill is unnecessary! We already have criminal mischief statutes that would apply in these situations.
The bill is not permissive – if a landlord thinks that something has happened, they are obligated to report it. There is a proposed amendment to make this permissive (also sponsored by Sen. Schnickel).
This bill would just give more leverage for landlords, who already have a lot of leverage.
Now, even though these situations might be something dealt with privately or through something like small claims court, landlords may now threaten to charge criminally.
Good Bill: HB 88 – Maternal Care
This bill is sponsored by Attica Scott and Rob Wiederstein.
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate. It’s three times higher for pregnant women of color.
The bill would require evidence-based implicit bias training for healthcare facilities, create a maternal fatality review team, and would allow people to use Medicaid for doulas.
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