FRANFORT, KY – Senator Adrienne Southworth has created BR 85 to repeal a new law that received a lot of attention after it passed quickly as SB 241 this year. The new section of KRS 150.170 which goes into effect this week, imposes a 5-acre threshold on the property size where owners can fish under license exemption. Before SB 241, there was no property size discrimination in the law.
Southworth was the only senator to vote no on SB 241, and the only member of the majority party among either chamber to vote against the measure. Shortly after the bill’s passage, multiple media outlets portrayed utter dismay and surprise around the state at what had just passed with seemingly flying colors. Southworth was pleased at the attention being given to the matter, but wishes it had come at the appropriate time before the voting occurred.
“I believe my core duty as a senator is to read all legislation and then vote on it. Anyone who was surprised at the bill’s contents had the exact same opportunity I did to become fully informed before voting. I’m glad it is receiving attention now, but I hope this initiates a new trend of looking before we leap,” Southworth says.
SB 241 is not alone in its experience as a bill that gets “clean-up” language in a later legislative year. While it is common to tweak laws multiple times, it should not be as common to create problems which must be purely repealed the following year. Southworth recalls voting yes on many bills in the 2023 session that were clean-ups to 2022 bills she voted no on. HB 146 reopened some of the too tight measures taken against unemployment claimants in 2022’s HB 4. SB 43 included protections against dying alone in a facility by closing 2022 SB 100 exemptions of some obvious offenders.
Senator Adrienne Southworth represents the 7th Senate district, including Anderson, Henry, Shelby, and southeast Jefferson counties. Bills being submitted in the next legislative session have historically been hosted at legislature.ky.gov every summer under "Interim Record." For 2024, however, no bills are being published for public review and no explanation has surfaced upon initial investigation. Contact Senator Southworth at to obtain an official copy.
Adrienne Southworth
Senator
Legislative Research Commission
Capitol Annex Room 253| 702 Capitol Ave. | Frankfort, KY 40601 | 502-564-8100
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