The Constitutional Amendment We Need Most

I must apologize to Kathy Stein, Mary Lou Marzian, Ruth Ann Palumbo, and Ernesto Scorsone, along with any other politicos who are really interested in putting the welfare of Kentuckians first, because they would be punished along with the rest of the Kentucky General @ss. However, this is the constitutional amendment I would most like to see on November's ballot:

SB 161/LM/AA (BR 145) - T. Jensen, R. Stivers II, B. Leeper
AN ACT proposing an amendment to Sections 36 and 42 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to legislative sessions.
Propose an amendment to Sections 36 and 42 of the Kentucky Constitution to repeal annual sessions; provide ballot language for submission to voters.

The wording on the ballot:

"Are you in favor of repealing annual legislative sessions for the General Assembly and allowing the General Assembly to convene in regular session during even-numbered years for no more than sixty legislative days and to meet in odd-numbered years for no more than ten legislative days only for the purposes of electing legislative leaders, adopting rules of procedure, and organizing committees?"

Unlike the proposed gambling amendment, I think this would have an immediate and guaranteed benefit for the people of Kentucky. Having annual sessions has not hastened the finalization of budgets or meeting the needs of Kentuckians. It has merely doubled the number of harmful, hot-button bills proposed.

The only complaint that I have about this amendment is that it does not go far enough. The KY General Assembly should only meet during odd years. 50% of the time, there would be no election , since the year following a presidential election is always a non-voting year. This would greatly cut down on the bills sponsored to attract donations or the support of voter blocs.

Imagine years in which the gay community was not attacked, in which women's reproduction was left alone, in which no one tried to force prayer into the public schools. Imagine years in which corporate handouts weren't given to King Coal, HMOs, or the construction industry while ignoring the needs of Kentucky's large, aging, lower-income population. Imagine politicians having to run on their record, rather than the bills they introduce to voters with short memories.

Me, I imagine fewer years in which I would need to scan proposed legislation for ones that hurt Kentuckians.

It's a shame.