BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – On Monday afternoon, Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne (R) visited WKU’s Alumni Center. He held a Q&A with local media and then held a closed round-table discussion with local officials and business owners.
13 News was able to talk to Osborne about issues facing Kentucky and the 2021 regular session. We asked what his top priorities were for the assembly. He said helping those who are seeking unemployment is at the top of the list.
”That has to be our foremost priority, but again our commitment will remain much the same which is to continue to build a stronger Kentucky. People are ready to re-engage the businesses, they are ready to get back to work as quickly as possible and we want to do everything we can to facilitate that,” Osborne said.
The Speaker of the House also said funding school systems is another big priority. “Give them the flexibility and the tools they really need to reach kids, and that part is a very personal approach depending on all the school districts.” he said.
Several pre-filed bills aim at at limiting the governor’s power when it comes to signing executive orders during a state of emergency, another topic to be discussed at the regular session at the start of the year.
“We deal with it much like we have dealt with many things that we have over the last few years, and that is to be responsible adults and make decisions that are inclusive of everybody in all branches of government and have all voices heard in that process. You can be assured that it will be part of the conversation,” Osborne explained.
We also asked the speaker about how mail-in voting will work with a newly passed bill requiring voters to present an ID before casting a ballot. Kentucky republicans voted to override Governor Beshear’s veto of the bill. Osborne said it will be up to Secretary of State Michael Adams to determine how the mail-in voting process will work.
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