Babbage Bulletin: Legislature Hits 1/3 Mark as New Political Polls Hit

Bulletin

Feb 9

Legislature Hits 1/3 Mark; 23rd Day on Monday

The legislative pace of the Kentucky General Assembly has accelerated with a focus on education reform, public safety, and the state’s biennial spending plan. Lawmakers have signaled a "robust" year for educational intervention, particularly regarding the state's largest school districts, all the while moving dozens of bills covering a diverse array of topics ranging from public health and criminal justice to the regulation of "backyard chickens" and the preservation of trophy catfish.

The Senate took decisive action on priority education measures, passing SB1 with a 29-7 vote to shift operational authority in Jefferson County Public Schools from the school board to the superintendent. Additionally, SB3 won near-unanimous support to mandate heightened financial transparency by requiring districts to publish budget documents online. Further guardrails were introduced through SB2, which caps administrator pay raises at the average percentage given to teachers, and SB4, which establishes a five-year principal mentorship program in partnership with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

In the House, literacy reform gained traction with HB253, proposing a ban on the "three-cueing" reading model — which relies on context clues and word recognition — by 2030 in favor of phonics-based instruction. HB257, which pivots state accountability metrics toward student growth and away from static test scoring, is also set for a floor vote to move over to the Senate.

Both chambers also moved to modernize insurance mandates and expand medical access. A heated debate centered on SB12, which would allow rural hospitals to be designated as Level IV trauma centers using advanced practice providers rather than requiring on-site physicians. In the House, lawmakers passed HB169 to mandate insurance coverage for eating disorders—prohibiting the use of BMI as a sole metric for denial—and HB164, which nearly doubles the required coverage for minors’ hearing aids.

Public safety efforts in the House focused on protecting minors through HB4, which criminalizes "grooming" behaviors, and HB7, which permits traffic cameras on school buses to penalize stop-arm violations. Meanwhile, the Senate advanced SB48 to prohibit repeat violent offenders from qualifying for mandatory reentry supervision.

Asserting state authority over local and federal overreach, the House advanced HB103, allowing officials at local water systems to opt out of adding fluoride to their water supply, and HB60 to ban atmospheric "geoengineering". To protect the outdoor economy, HB397 was introduced to end the commercial harvest of trophy-sized catfish in the lower Ohio River by 2027.

Moving forward this week, budget review subcommittees dedicated to transportation, justice, and economic development are set to convene to scrutinize agency requests and the initial framework of HB500, the budget bill. A presentation from the Auditor of Public Accounts to address specific budget concerns is on the week's agenda.

Also this week, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services will present on the stability of the victim advocacy program, outline its strategy to reduce SNAP payment error rates, – a critical move to avoid potential federal financial penalties – and cover the Cabinet’s historical investigative tools and the formal process for sharing data required for legislative fiscal notes.

New Polling in KY Senate Race; Massie Mic-Drop

An independent survey released February 5 by Emerson College Polling and Fox 56 reveals a shifting landscape in the GOP primary for Kentucky’s open Senate seat. For the first time, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr holds a narrow lead with 24% of the vote, followed by former Attorney General Daniel Cameron at 21% and Lexington businessman Nate Morris at 14%. Despite the movement, the largest voting bloc remains "undecided" at 38%.

A separate poll from Quantus Insights mirrored these results, showing Barr at 28%, Cameron at 27%, and Morris at 16%. The findings are a blow to Cameron, who has historically led in name recognition but currently trails in the money race. Barr maintains a significant financial advantage with over $6.4 million in cash on hand. Meanwhile, Nate Morris has seen his profile rise following a massive $10 million donation from Elon Musk to the "Fight for Kentucky" Super PAC—the largest single contribution Musk has ever given a federal candidate outside of the presidential race.

On the Democratic side, Charles Booker leads with 30%, followed by former Marine pilot Amy McGrath at 19%, though a massive 43% of Democratic voters remain undecided.

While the Senate candidates scramble for momentum, 4th District Congressman Thomas Massie is embroiled in a heated primary against retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who, with the full backing of President Donald Trump, continues to campaign as the "America First" alternative to the "independent firebrand" incumbent.

The tension boiled over at the recent Oldham County Lincoln Day Dinner when during his speech, Massie was abruptly cut off by state House Speaker David Osborne, who physically took the microphone away after Massie exceeded his speaking limit. Massie, who at the time was defending his wife against recent social media insults from President Trump, finished his thoughts by shouting, "I work for you!" to the crowd before later walking out in a show of solidarity with exiting supporters.

Notably, this came the same week that Senate candidates Andy Barr and Nate Morris, also in attendance at the dinner, endorsed Gallrein over Massie.