Statement on HB 40 Passing the Senate
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today, we thank the Senate for passing HB 40 to allow expungement for certain low-level felonies. We thank the many Senators who worked to find compromises to move the bill through the Senate for the first time today. We appreciate the work of Representative Darryl Owens, Senate President Robert Stivers, and Senator Whitney Westerfield for championing the bill. We know this legislation will help the many parents with criminal records get back to work. Expungement will allow parents who have served their time and stayed [...]
Statement on SB 60 Heading to the Governor’s Desk
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates SB 60, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield has had its final vote and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for his signature. We applaud the House and Senate for working in a bi-partisan manner to pass legislation that will better protect child victims of repeated abuse. SB 60 will accommodate a child’s more generalized testimony when a tragedy of repeated abuse occurs. We know that many children who have experienced repeated abuse over time have difficulty remembering distinguishing details of each specific incident of [...]
Statement on Senate Passing Budget
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Budgets require tough choices and wise compromise. Tough budget times are the moments when we learn what lawmakers hold as values and priorities. Now that the Governor, House, and Senate have put forth their respective versions of a state budget, the real test comes for Kentucky and its children. Will we invest in the Child Care Assistance Program as a real lever for local economic development with increased eligibility for (working?) families and higher provider reimbursement rates? Will we invest in child welfare practices like [...]
Statement on SB 40 Passing House Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We thank the House Judiciary Committee for passing SB 40 to create a pilot project to open courts in child welfare cases. This bill, sponsored by Senator Julie Raque Adams, will provide an opportunity to evaluate how opening courts impacts children and the systems involved in child welfare cases through this pilot effort. We appreciate the work of the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel for bringing forth this solution as one of several solutions to prevent future child abuse deaths. We know [...]
Statement on HB 380 Passing House
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the Kentucky House today for passing HB 380 to make the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act (URLTA) cover all Kentucky communities. This bill will promote safe and stable housing for families while also protecting responsible landlords. Thank you to all members who voted for the bill today and to Representative Jim Glenn for sponsoring.
Statement on HB 475 Passing House
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the passage of House Bill 475, sponsored by Representative Rita Smart, by the full House today, which will help keep children safe in two settings they often spend time. The first provision allows parents to check the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry maintained by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to find out if potential babysitters have substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect on their records. This will allow parents to have important information when hiring caregivers for their children. [...]
Statement on SB 60 Passing House
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We applaud the House today for passing SB 60, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, to better protect child victims of repeated abuse. Children often find it difficult to remember specific details of each incident of abuse, yet they can recount the abuse that occurred. This bill would accommodate a child’s more generalized testimony when a tragedy of repeated abuse occurs, known as a continuous course of conduct. SB 60 considers how age and trauma impact a child’s memory. We thank Senator Westerfield for sponsoring this [...]
Statement on SB 60 and HB 380 Passing House Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates We appreciate the House Judiciary Committee’s passage of two important bills for Kentucky children today. SB 60, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, will better protect child victims of repeated abuse. Many children who have experienced repeated abuse over time, referred to as a continuous course of conduct, have difficulty remembering the details of each specific incident of abuse. Research tells us that a child develops the ability to accurately describe the “what” years before they are able to convey the “when” as they recount a [...]
Statement on HB 475 Passing House Health and Welfare Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today the House Health and Welfare committee passed House Bill 475, sponsored by Representative Rita Smart, which ensures the safety of children in two settings children often find themselves. The first includes being in the care of a babysitter. Parents need ways to ensure that their child is safe with the person caring for them in their home. Having the ability to check the Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry maintained by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services will allow parents to find out if [...]
Statement on SB 294 Passing Senate Judiciary Committee
Contact: Andrea Bennett 502-381-1176 abennett@kyyouth.org Statement by Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Our youth justice system works best when youth are held accountable for actions and also have a chance to get back on track to becoming productive adults. Today, we applaud the steps of Senator Whitney Westerfield and the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing SB 294 out of committee to help youth who messed up be able to succeed as adults. SB 294 simplifies the process by automatically sealing and expunging juvenile records for non-violent offenses when youth stay out of trouble. It also makes additional [...]