Legislative Update: Bills dealing with scholarship funding and alcohol shipment move

House Bill 338, which adds proprietary institutions to Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) eligible institutions, passed through the House with a 81-17 vote.

Sponsored by Rep. William Lawrence, HB 338 would allow students to use KEES money toward trade institutions such as the Kentucky Welding Institute.

Lawrence said it is a certain bill that will add facilities open for five years and based in Kentucky to be eligible for students to use KEES money to open up more post-secondary educational options.

House Bill 415, sponsored by Rep. Adam Koenig, makes improvements to a bill passed last year to allow the shipment of alcohol.

Koenig explained the legislation comes after the lessons learned from implementation and makes very small changes dealing with the use of fulfilment centers, out of state retailers, shipments to media to help with promotion, eliminating an antiquated policy that says if you have more than certain amount of alcohol in home you must be selling it, and other changes.

The bill passed the House 81-14 with friendly floor amendments making additional small changes. Both House Bills 338 and 415 now move to the Senate for consideration in committee.