2018 Kentucky Senate Bill 151

Senate Bill 151, also known as SB 151, is a pension bill passed on March 29, 2018, by the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The bill includes increases for cost of living, ends the inviolable contract for new teachers hired after January 1, 2019, and requires employees hired between 2003 and 2008 to pay an additional 1 percent of their pay for health care benefits in retirement.^[1] The bill received considerable criticism, especially from teachers. On December 13, 2018, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the bill was unconstitutional, preventing it from going into effect on January 1, 2019.^[2]

Senate Bill 151 was introduced in the Senate on February 15, 2018.^[3] On March 29, 2018, it was passed by the Kentucky Senate by a vote of 22–15 and the Kentucky House with a vote of 49–46.^[4] The bill was sent to Kentucky GovernorMatt Bevin’s desk.^[5] It was received by Kentucky Secretary of StateAlison Lundergan Grimes, and signed by Bevin on April 10, 2018.^[6] On December 13, 2018, the Kentucky Supreme Court struck down SB 151 as unconstitutional, resulting in the bill never taking effect.^[7][8]

House vote

The bill was initially passed by the house by a 49–46 vote. Representatives Mary Lou Marzian and Stan Lee, who did not vote, later modified their votes to nay.^[9][10]Lynn Bechler, who also did not vote, later modified his vote to yea, bringing the total to 50–48.^[11]

Senate vote

The bill was approved by the senate by a 22–15 vote. Senator Perry B. Clark, who did not vote, later modified his vote to nay.^[12]

La decisión de aprobar el Proyecto de Ley del Senado 151 el 29 de marzo de 2018 provocó indignación entre los maestros de todo Kentucky . ^{[ 13 ]} Como resultado, las escuelas de 25 condados cerraron el 30 de marzo de 2018. ^{[ 14 ]} Los maestros se manifestaron en Frankfort para protestar contra el proyecto de ley y corearon frases como "120 fuertes" y "unidos permanecemos, divididos caemos". ^{[ 15 ]} El 20 de junio de 2018, el juez del circuito de Franklin, Phillip Shepherd, declaró inconstitucional el proyecto de ley y afirmó que la legislatura violó la Sección 46 de la Constitución al no darle al proyecto de ley tres lecturas en tres días diferentes en cada cámara. ^{[ 16 ]}

Después de que la Corte Suprema de Kentucky declarara inconstitucional el proyecto de ley SB 151, la decisión recibió elogios de la Coalición de Pensiones Públicas de Kentucky y del Partido Demócrata de Kentucky , y críticas del Partido Republicano de Kentucky . ^{[ 29 ]} El juez Daniel J. Venters escribió que el proyecto de ley no cumplía con los requisitos establecidos en la constitución. ^{[ 30 ]} Los maestros celebraron la decisión y la calificaron como una "victoria para la democracia". ^{[ 31 ]} Sin embargo, Matt Bevin criticó la decisión como una "toma de poder sin precedentes por parte de jueces activistas". ^{[ 32 ]}

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