FRANKFORT FOCUS: A Legislative Perspective with State Representative Kathy Hinkle

FRANKFORT FOCUS

A Legislative Perspective on the Kentucky General Assembly with State Representative Kathy Hinkle

FRANKFORT – Christmas may arrive just once a year, but for some small communities across the commonwealth, their connection to the holiday season is permanent.

Henry County’s Bethlehem, for example, draws a lot of mail from those who want the postmark for their Christmas cards.  Nelson County has Nazareth, Letcher County has Partridge and you can always find Snow between Albany and Monticello on our southern border.

With Christmas arriving next Wednesday and the end of the year coming a week later, time is drawing short to take in the many holiday-themed activities Kentucky offers.

Some are unique, such as Mega Cavern’s “Lights Under Louisville,” where you can find the world’s only underground light show that you can actually drive through.

The Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington has had its own light show for more than two decades, and up the road, the Newport Aquarium has “Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland” and the Ark Encounter is brightly lit with ice skating and Christmas-themed programs.

The Kentucky Railway Museum’s North Pole Express near Bardstown helps re-create “The Polar Express” book and movie, and many of our state parks feature Breakfast with Santa or the Grinch or offer a Victorian-era celebration.

To find out more information about these and other events, visit the Kentucky Department of Tourism’s website atwww.kentuckytourism.com.

If you’re still looking for the perfect gift, my first recommendation is to shop locally first, to support our retailers, but other unique purchases can be found in places like Berea’s Kentucky Artisan Center, which has for sale one-of-a-kind works from more than 800 artists.

Although not tied to Christmas, more than 140,000 Kentuckians got a welcome present late last week when Governor Beshear signed an executive order restoring voting rights they had lost after their felony conviction.

Until this action, Kentucky and Iowa were the only two states to enforce an effective lifetime voting ban for felons, though each person could petition the governor to restore these rights individually.

Governor Beshear’s action only applies to those convicted of non-violent crimes who have completed all aspects of their sentence, including probation and parole.  Others not eligible include those convicted of bribery during an election or who have committed treason, and it also does not apply to those convicted of crimes in federal court or in jurisdictions outside of Kentucky.  This is not a pardon, meaning the record of punishment remains.

Those benefiting from this action will still need to register if they want to vote, and it will take a constitutional amendment to make this executive order permanent, something many of us in the General Assembly hope we can begin making a reality next year.  Without an amendment approved by the voters, it is possible a future governor could rescind these felon voting rights.

The work to make this executive order permanent begins a few days after the start of the new year, when the General Assembly returns to Frankfort for the 2020 legislative session.

I encourage you to let me know your thoughts on issues we’re expected to vote on.  You can always email me atKathy.Hinkle@lrc.ky.gov, and you can also leave a message for me or for any legislator at 800-372-7181. For those with a hearing impairment, the number is 800-896-0305.

For now, my family and I hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.