Before I begin, let me preface this column by saying that, in order to have everything written and ready for print in our March 19 edition, I am having to look at information that was last updated on Monday of this week. One of the frustrating things about trying to report on happenings in the state legislature is how quickly situations can evolve. Due to that fact, what you read here (and elsewhere in the paper) may or may not reflect the most recent developments. It is my sincere hope that what I have written isn’t already outdated by the time you, the reader, have the newspaper in your hands, but there are no guarantees. With that being said, I would like to discuss a few items as we are just days away from the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session.
First, I want to address Senate Bill 1. The genesis of this bill actually occurred during a meeting in downtown Corbin last fall. It included Senate President Robert Stivers, Eastern Kentucky University President David McFaddin, Kentucky Community and Technical College President Ryan Quarles, and several others. The topic of discussion at that meeting was exploring options for how a state film commission could be formed, and once active, how it could work to ensure that Kentucky is providing adequate incentives and guidance for filmmakers coming to the Commonwealth to produce their films.
Stivers acknowledged at that meeting that there has been a “very poor effort at the state level” when it comes to promoting Kentucky as a destination for filmmakers, but that could be about to change if SB1 is successful in receiving the governor’s signature. The bill outlines the creation of the Kentucky Film Office, which will be attached to the Cabinet for Economic Development. It describes the duties of the Kentucky Film Office as: coordinating with regional films offices and local tourism commissions, marketing Kentucky as a location for film production, providing assistance to production companies and film studios, and coordinating with the Kentucky Film Leadership Council, which the bill also establishes.
The Kentucky Film Leadership Council will review tax incentive applications and “develop comprehensive film industry strategies in partnership with the Cabinet for Economic Development, the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, and the Education and Labor Cabinet.” Council members will include the secretaries from each of the aforementioned cabinets, as well as two representatives from Kentucky film production companies, one representative who is the head of a regional film commission, and one representative from a film profession (producer, actor, film financier, etc.).
In essence, this bill provides the blueprint for building a robust and lucrative film industry right here in Kentucky. It is very exciting to consider all of the possibilities, and I hope that Gov. Beshear will sign off on what I, and many other, think will be a fantastic opportunity for expanding horizons in the areas of tourism, education and economic development.
Another bill that has made its way to the governor’s desk is House Bill 54. If it becomes law, it will “allow on-the-job training equivalencies of internship and cooperative placement hours to count toward those hours needed to obtain licensure.”
HB 54 would also “require that the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction recognize and honor the agreements toward licensure in the professions regulated by the department, including electricians, plumbers, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.”
I say let’s do it. Make it easier for guys and girls who are already out there doing the work to obtain licenses and further their careers. It’s a great idea, in my opinion, and it’s another bill that I hope will get a signature soon.
