Senate democrats meet to discuss the dropout bill

The Senate Democratic Caucus met Tuesday to host an unofficial hearing for House Bill 2, which proposes to raise the high school drop-out age from 16 to 18. The Chamber, who has been a strong supporter of this legislation both in the 2011 General Assembly and the special session, appeared alongside First Lady Jane Beshear, Commissioner Terry Holiday, and other education professionals to voice support for HB 2 as a way to reduce the number of high school dropouts in Kentucky. Hosting a public caucus meeting to hear a bill does not affect the official legislative process as the bill would still need to be heard in the Senate Education Committee. It does, however, show that a number of members of the Senate view this issue as a genuine concern for our commonwealth and would like to raise awareness of the bill in the Senate. Upon adjournment, the Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter to the Republican Caucus, requesting that the bill receive a hearing.  Call your state Senator at 1-800-372-7181 and tell him/her that you support HB 2 as a meaningful way to reduce the number of students dropping out of high school. The business community needs a stronger, more qualified workforce and high school graduation is a key component.