Today, the Kentucky Senate passed SB 10 and the House of Representatives passed HB 25 and HB 278.

GLI President and CEO, Sarah Davasher-Wisdom issued the below statements:

HB 25

Greater Louisville Inc. applauds the Kentucky House of Representatives for passing House Bill 25 which will expand eligibility for the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) to Kentuckians with felony records. This legislation will give Kentuckians with felony records the ability to access higher education and have more economic opportunities. Opening up opportunities like higher education to those with criminal records is critical for supporting successful workforce reentry and reducing recidivism.

GLI’s Business Council to End Racism continues to prioritize this legislation, recognizing that the criminal justice system has had a disproportionate impact on Black Kentuckians which has previously put many at a disadvantage. We urge the Senate to work diligently to pass HB 25 this session.

HB 278

House Bill 278 is a top priority for GLI and we are encouraged to see it pass the House of Representatives today. State law currently prohibits businesses from deducting expenses paid with forgiven PPP loans from their overall tax burden. Other states, like Indiana, have already taken action on this issue. HB 278 will fix the problem in Kentucky and thus protect businesses from an additional obstacle as they work to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 We applaud the General Assembly for working to ensure regulations and tax codes do not further threaten the viability of our businesses, who sacrificed a great deal in the past year to minimize the spread of COVID-19. We urge the Senate to move swiftly to pass this legislation to provide clarity for businesses as tax season approaches.

SB 10

GLI applauds the Kentucky Senate for its passage of Senate Bill 10. We are hopeful that the establishment of the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity will be an important step to creating effective public policy solutions to advance racial equity and increase access to opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. Thank you to Senator David Givens and other members of Senate Leadership for leading on this bill.

 SB 10 is also a priority for our Business Council to End Racism, which continues to advocate for policies and take strategic actions to eliminate systemic racism in Greater Louisville. We recognize we have a long journey ahead in achieving equity, and we will continue supporting legislation that moves our region closer to that end goal. We urge the House of Representatives to prioritize passing this important legislation during the 2021 session.