Legislative Priorities

2008 General Assembly

Please check this page often! We'll update it as new issues arise and new resources become available.

Healthcare Discrimination Bills HB 118 Sponsors: Richard Henderson, Ancel Smith, Royce W. Adams, John A. Arnold Jr, Eddie Ballard, Larry Belcher, Mike Cherry, Hubert Collins, Leslie Combs, Will Coursey, Robert R. Damron, Jim Gooch Jr, Keith Hall, Melvin B. Henley, Brad Montell, Rick G. Nelson, Fred Nesler, Rick Rand, Dottie Sims, Tommy Thompson, Brent Yonts SB 112 Sponsors: Vernie McGaha, Gary Tapp, Charlie Borders, Carroll Gibson, Bob Leeper, Dick Roeding, Damon Thayer, Ken Winters	Defeated Fact Sheet
The Healthcare Discrimination Bill would codify an extremely narrow definition of "family member," and prohibit any state agency from offering benefits to families outside that definition. It would overturn the decisions at the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky to include unmarried employees in their health insurance plans, and take coverage away from families who entered the plans in 2007.

Hospital Visitation Bill HB 33 Sponsors: Mary Lou Marzian, Kathy Stein, Darryl Owens SB 112 Sponsor: Denise Harper-Angel	Filed in House and Senate Fact Sheet
This initiative would allow any adult hospital patient to designate another individual to be treated as a member of the patient's family with regard to visitation.

Statewide Fairness Bill HB 274 Sponsors: Mary Lou Marzian, Kathy Stein, Jim Wayne, Tom Burch, Reggie Meeks, Ruth Ann Palumbo, Susan Westrom SB 55 Sponsor: Ernesto Scorsone, Denise Harper-Angel, Gerald Neal, Tim Shaughnessy	Filed in House and Senate Fact Sheet
This bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity throughout Kentucky in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. Right now only residents of Metro Louisville, Lexington/Fayette County, and Covington, Kentucky are protected by city ordinance against discrimination. No one should be fired from a job, denied an apartment, turned away by a restaurant, or refused credit simply because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

The Ampersand symbolizes the solidarity we are building through Friends & Family, and suggests the inclusiveness we are working toward. It reflects the idea that no one individual, legislator, organization, or city can carry all the water for equality. Our success lies in our solidarity.