The General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday and session for Thursday and Friday was cancelled. They will convene again on Monday, March 9 for their twenty-fourth legislative day. They will also meet next Tuesday and Wednesday before recessing for the ten-day veto period and then will return on March 23 and 24 for the last two days of the session. As the General Assembly meets next week, several conference committees will also begin to meet. Trying to find a solution for the declining revenue for the road fund may be discussed as part of one of the conference committees.

On Tuesday, the House passed HB 510 by a vote of 99-0 and now the bill is in the Senate for their consideration. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Agriculture Committee. For details on HB 510 please refer to legislative report number six.

SB 92: J. Bowen - AN ACT relating to timber harvesting. This bill require loggers or operators who have received bad actor designations to provide prior notice to the division before engaging in any timber harvesting operations until they have paid all civil penalties and performed all required site remediation and require the cabinet to issue an emergency order requiring any third-time bad actor to cease all timber harvesting operations until all required site remediation has been performed and all civil penalties have been paid or a repayment plan has been established and maintained. This bill has passed the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee and was placed on the Senate Consent Calendar.

KFB Policy: “We support the Forestry Best Management Practice Board in amending the Forest Conservation Act to strengthen the bad actor provisions.”

SB 106: P. Hornback, W. Westerfield, C. Embry Jr., C. Girdler, S. Humphries, D. Parrett, D. Ridley, M. Wise - AN ACT relating to motor vehicle weight tolerance.

This bill would amend KRS 189.222 to permit a vehicle registered under KRS 186.050(3) transporting certain meats, agricultural crop products, livestock, or poultry to exceed the gross weight provisions by a weight tolerance of 10% and adds poultry to items specified in the provisions of KRS 189.222(10) that may exceed the axle weight provisions by 10% without being a violation. This bill has passed the Senate and is now in the House Transportation Committee.

KFB Policy: “We support the 10% weight exemption on farm trucks and trucks servicing farms hauling agriculture products, similar to the same benefits currently given to the transportation of primary forest products.”

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS During the week, you may reach your representative and senator in Frankfort by calling 502.564.8100.

If you do not desire to talk to your state legislator immediately or you just want to leave a message, you may dial toll-free 800.372.7181. An answering service will take your message for your representative or senator. The legislative calendar information line is 800.633.9650, the bill status line is 866.840.2835, and the Governor's office number is 502.564.2611.

YOUR LOBBYISTS The following are registered to lobby for Kentucky Farm Bureau for the 2015 session: Jeff Harper, Public Affairs Director, extension 5104; Bryan Alvey extension 7218; Tony Sholar, extension 5121, and David S. Beck, extension 5101. If you would like to call your lobbyists during the evening, call 502-352-4280 at the Frankfort headquarters or call 502.495.5000 and key in their extensions.

If you would like to contact one of your lobbyists during the day, please call Sara Stivers at 502.495.5121 and she will put you in touch with one of them.