Healthcare Discrimination Rises, Falls Again

New Voice of Fairness Emerges in the House

It started in December when 21 Democrats in the House of Representatives pre-filed legislation to prohibit Kentucky's public agencies and universities from offering healthcare benefits to all employees' families, regardless of marital status (House Bill 118).

The Senate fast-tracked its own Healthcare Discrimination bill in January, voting 30-5 to pass Senate Bill 112. Both bills were sent to the House Health & Welfare Committee, which defeated similar legislation in 2007.

In March, Health & Welfare Committee Chair Tom Burch held a hearing on SB 112, during which Rep. David Watkins of Henderson took the bill's proponents to task.

Citing major health concerns such as smoking, obesity, and mental health, Dr. Watkins railed against the "petty" and "divisive" issues championed by the likes of Sen. Vernie McGaha and the Family Foundation of Kentucky.

"I'm so tired of these little petty bills like this coming before us and taking up our time when we have major issues to address." Watkins said. "And I think y'all bring divisive issues to us.

"To me, I think that this is ridiculous, that we keep having these same things come back again, and again, and again. The divisive issues. I think some people do this so that they can get funds for their organization. I think they use this as a whip to create and work up division in our society, which is a negative thing."

Watkins also served up scathing criticism to both the Family Foundation, which has pressed relentlessly for healthcare discrimination, and to McGaha, who was a lead sponsor of SB 112.

"If you really truly are a family foundation I think you would be in here supporting things that help improve the health of the family.

"Sen. McGaha, don't you see the negativity that you're causing and the division that you cause in our state. You're supposed to be up here representing people to help people, not to hurt us. This is a divisive issue. Surely you're intelligent enough to know that and realize that this creates division in the Senate, and division in your House of Representatives."

In the end, the committee voted 9-6 against healthcare discrimination. For the second year in a row, an anti-fairness bill passed one chamber of the General Assembly and failed to make it out of the other. That had never happened in Kentucky prior to 2007.

SB 112 no votes

HB 118 sponsors

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