FRANKFORT, Ky. — Members of the General Assembly gathered in Frankfort for a special session Wednesday.
The sole purpose of their meeting is to adopt legislation aimed at responding to the Eastern Kentucky floods.
Lawmakers are expected to create the East Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies, or EKSAFE, fund during the session. The proposal calls for using $200 million of the state’s rainy-day fund to assist local governments, school boards and state agencies in paying for the disaster response. An additional $12.6 million will be set aside for water and sewer projects in the disaster area.
“Those of us who have been on the front lines of the recovery effort know how much this funding will mean to our communities,” Rep. John Blanton said. “It’s going to speed up the process and get our schools open, our utilities restored, and access for folks in areas where the roads and bridges have been washed out.”
The bill will also waive 15 student attendance days and add 20 more remote learning days in school districts affected by the flooding.
The legislature will use some creative parliamentary procedures in order to wrap up the session by Friday afternoon.
During today’s meeting, the Senate recessed in honor of 18-year-old Knott County student Aaron Mick Crawford, who died after falling ill while working to help flood victims. Crawford’s family was in attendance for the honor, and Senate President Robert Stivers thanked them for his service and sacrifice.
