►
From YouTube: Interim Joint Committee on State Government (9-26-23)
Description
Attendance roll call: 00:01:00
Approval of minutes: 00:02:54
State Board of Elections--discussion of voter list maintenance: 00:03:50
Discussion of 23 RS HB 500: 00:45:34
A
Good
morning,
everyone
I
call
to
order
the
September
26
2023
meeting
of
the
interim
joint
committee
on
state
government.
I
want
to
welcome
everyone
and
just
a
reminder.
If
you
would
please
silent
your
phones
so
that
we
will
not
have
any
interruptions
at
this
time.
If
you
don't
mind
before
we
go
to
the
roll
call,
I
would
ask
all
the
members
to
please
stand
and
join
me
as
we
do
a
pledge
of
allegiance
to
the
flag.
This
morning.
A
C
D
F
A
A
E
A
A
G
G
A
I
I
There
you'll
see
that
quote
in
the
administration
of
voter
registration
for
federal
office.
Each
state
shall
and
then,
amongst
other
things,
one
ensure
that
any
eligible
applicant
is
registered
to
vote
in
an
election,
and
two
conduct
quote
a
general
program
that
makes
a
reasonable
effort
to
remove
the
names
of
ineligible
voters
from
the
official
list
of
eligible
voters.
I
I
I
So
where
does
the
State
Board
get
its
change
of
address
information
from
currently
Kentucky
is
one
of
25
States
who,
along
with
the
District
of
Columbia,
make
up
the
electronic
registration
information
center.
Otherwise
known
as
Eric
is
a
non-profit
nonpartisan
membership
organization
that
was
created
in
2012
by
state
election
officials
and
has
always
been
funded
and
governed
by
the
states
who
elect
to
participate.
I
Three,
a
report
based
off
of
the
Social
Security
administration's
Master
death
I,
just
read
that
one
sorry
reports
that
analyze
Kentucky's
Transportation
records
for
newer
information
on
voters
and
four,
a
report
that
highlights
what,
if
any
registrations
on
Kentucky's
voter
rolls
may
be
duplicates
by
no
means
are
these
the
only
sources
of
data
that
Kentucky
uses
to
gather
information
about
voter
registrations
that
may
be
out
of
date.
All
of
these
reports
are
valuable
to
the
Commonwealth,
not
just
the
USPS
report
in
conducting
voter
list
maintenance,
but
before
I
go
further.
I
I
In
2017
the
non-profit
organization,
Judicial
Watch
sued,
then
Secretary
of
State
Allison
lundergan
Grimes,
alleging
that
under
her
watch,
the
voter
list,
maintenance
required
by
the
nvra,
was
not
happening
in
the
state
of
Kentucky,
as
evidenced
by
the
fact
that
the
state
had
more
voter
registrations
than
residents
of
voting
age
in
2018.
The
United
States
Department
of
Justice
also
joined
the
case
as
an
intervening
plaintiff.
They
also
allege
that
the
former
secretary
was
violating
the
mvra.
I
I
should
note
that
at
the
time
State
Board
of
Elections
was
not
an
independent
agency
of
state
and
government
like
it
is
now.
The
former
Secretary
of
State
served
as
the
chair
of
the
State
Board
of
Elections
and
exercised
that
power
to
include
control
over
the
Commonwealth's
voter
roles
in
such
a
manner
that
led
the
legislature.
I
Many
of
you
sitting
here
today
to
Institute
reforms
to
the
statutes
regarding
the
state's
voter
registration
database,
ultimately
limiting
the
power
that
any
secretary
has
over
the
state's
voter
rolls
back
to
the
federal
lawsuit
as
the
case
continued
on
meaningful
voter
list,
maintenance
continued
to
be
neglected
in
Kentucky,
leading
to
a
backlog
of
Voters
of
ineligible.
Voters.
Excuse
me
clogging
our
roles,
a
backlog
that
we
are
still
digging
out
of
today.
I
I
Now,
as
we
approach
the
2024
legislative
session
may
I
on
behalf
of
the
State
Board
suggest
that
the
last
subsection
be
amended
to
include
notification
of
a
felony
offense
from
the
Department
of
Justice
as
well,
and
that
the
State
Board
be
allowed
to
remove
registrations
upon
notification
from
either
the
AOC
or
doj
that
an
individual
has
been
found
incapable
of
serving
as
a
juror
due
to
lack
of
status.
As
a
citizen
back
to
the
nvra
program
list
program
related
list
maintenance.
I
I
I
So
here's
what
happens
with
an
8c-1
the
postcard
is
sent
to
the
address.
The
voter
is
thought
to
have
moved
to
within
the
county
if
a
voter
confirms
an
in-county
address
other
than
what
is
on
the
postcard,
because
the
postcard
has
been
forwarded,
the
voter's
record
is
updated
to
the
new
in-county
address.
I
I
I
I
I
If
the
voter
has
moved
out
of
state,
they
can
return
the
card
and
cancel
their
Kentucky
voter
registration
or
go
online
to
expedite
the
process.
If
the
postcard
is
returned
to
the
State
Board
of
Elections
as
undeliverable
or
other
otherwise
creates
no
action
from
the
voter,
the
nvra
and
KRS
two
Federal
elections.
Clock
continues
to
tick.
I
Now,
here's
a
graphic
that
shows
a
flow
chart
of
how
the
most
common
hc1
scenario
plays
out
and
here's
a
flow
chart
for
the
most
common
8d2
scenario
and
both
of
these,
because
I'm
flipping
through
them
really
fast.
Both
of
them
I'd,
like
everyone
to
know,
are
available
at
elect.ky.gov.
That's
the
state
board's
website.
I
I
As
you
all
are
surely
aware,
the
State
Board
presents
monthly
to
the
Kentucky
county
clerks
Association
County
clerks
are
the
boots
on
the
ground,
conducting
the
actual
voting
in
each
of
our
120
counties
as
such.
They
are
often
one
of
the
first
elected
officials
to
hear
questions
from
constituents
about
voter
list.
Maintenance
here
are
some
of
the
reminders
that
SBE
has
given
the
clerks
that
they
may
also
help
today
for
those
listening
number
one,
it
is
perfectly
normal
for
voters
to
get
a
postcard
at
their
address
for
a
former
resident.
I
It
is
a
good
thing
because
it
helps
to
make
sure
our
voter
rolls
are
as
up-to-date
as
possible.
The
process
does
take
some
time,
however,
because
we
don't
want
to
remove
any
registration
that
has
not
proven
to
be
inactive
and
for
nearly
a
decade
voter
list
maintenance
was
not
performed
as
it
should
have
been
in
the
state.
So
we
are
catching
up
two.
I
It
is
perfectly
normal
for
a
voter
to
get
a
postcard
addressed
to
themselves
again.
This
helps
guarantee
we
have
the
most
up-to-date
records
possible.
Three.
Just
because
a
voter
receives
a
postcard
does
not
mean
they
have
been
purged,
it
is
just
one
step
in
the
state's
voter
list
maintenance
process.
I
A
Thank
you
very
much.
We
certainly
appreciate
your
time
being
with
us
today
and
your
testimony.
I
know
we.
We
had
this
actually
on
our
last
month
meeting,
but
we
felt
like
that.
The
time
constraints
we
needed
to
we
needed
to
bring
you
to
this
meeting
and
I
want
to
say.
Thank
you
all
for
coming
today.
A
I
know
the
rescheduling
may
have
been
a
little
bit
difficult,
but
I
have
some
questions,
but
we
have
a
lot
of
members
already
signed
up
to
ask
questions
and
so
I'm
going
to
defer
to
them
because
I'm
sure
some
of
their
questions
will
be
the
same.
The
same
that
I
had
the
first
individual
is
representative
Hodgkin,
representative
Hodgen.
You
may
proceed
please
thank.
J
I
The
website
that
I
mentioned
elect.ky.gov
we've
got
a
whole
section
there
that
has
the
flow
charts,
has
everything
that
we're
doing
and
there's
a
report
that
is
year
by
year
that
describes
the
efforts
that
we're
doing
you
can
look
I.
Think
2019
is
the
first
year
and
up
through
today,
they're
with
the
change
in
administration,
how
that
reporting
was
done
when
it
was
done
changed.
So
it
may
look
like
it's
last
year's
information
for
this
year,
but
that's
just
the
report
and
the
way
the
reporting
happened.
We
should
be
putting
out
the
new
report
here.
J
Okay,
so
you
will
be
meeting
the
September
30th
deadline
for
the
consent
decree
okay,
I
did
I
was
able
to
look
at
your
reports
and
do
a
little
statistical,
charting
and
graphing
on
that.
It
appears
that
Kentucky
has
a
typical
death
rate
of
between
40
and
50
000
individuals
a
year,
but
your
report
on
the
number
of
people
reduced
removed
for
deaths
in
2019
you're
at
10
000
and
in
recent
years,
you've
been
under
under
a
thousand
for
people
removed
for
desks.
Can
you
explain
that
discrepancy?
I
Sorry,
I
care
and
I
don't
mean
to
take
all
the
questions.
I
I
would
say.
Our
information
is
only
as
good
as
the
sources
we're
getting
it
from
the
Social
Security
Master
death
index
file,
the
the
cabinet
and
those
are
the
records
we
get.
We
get
the
statute
does
say
other
reliable
sources
as
well.
We've
got
a
number
of
counties
that
are
lucky
enough,
that
they
have
the
manpower
to
spare
staff
that
will
actually
go
through
their
their
local
obituaries.
I
They're
they're
in
I
know
a
local
clerk
who
has
a
relationship
with
the
funeral
home
and
it
from
the
state
board's
perspective,
we're
relying
on
what
records
we
have,
the
as
it
relies
to
death.
The
counties
are
also,
you
know
doing
their
own
thing
to
supplement
that,
but
we're
only
as
good
as
our
source
on
that.
Well.
I
J
The
consent
decree
was
established,
we've
probably
had
around
200
000
people
die
in
Kentucky,
we've
only
taken,
let's
say:
12
000
off
for
reasons
of
death,
we're
paying
good
money
to
Eric
Social
Security
Administration
has
a
death
index
chfs
death
index.
Surely
somebody
and
that
chain
knows
how
many
people
have
died
in
Kentucky
and
we
can
reliably
remove
those
folks?
Why
have
we
not.
I
G
Not
right
I
don't
have
a
lot
of
good
information
about
that.
I.
Have
you
know
from
other
sources
in
other
states
that
have
talked
about
the
covet,
deaths
did
have
an
effect
on
trying
to
get
some
of
that
caught
up,
I
haven't
looked
personally
I
apologize
that
I
haven't
looked
at
the
statistics
and
added
up
the
number
of
deaths
that
we've
taken
off
since.
A
L
Right
I'll
try
to
keep
it
brief.
I
am
a
Davis
County
boy,
so
I
want
to
remind
everybody
that
our
own
great
Senator
Ford
was
the
person
who
was
the
primary
sponsor
in
getting
the
NVR
a
pass.
So
we're
proud
of
that
proud
of
Richard
for
his
service
to
the
Commonwealth
book
at
the
local
level
and
the
state
level
for
a
long
time
now.
I
do
want
to
thank
you
guys
for
continuing
to
participate
in
Eric.
L
I
know,
there's
some
pressure
out
there
from
some
Fringe
groups
and
other
states
that
are
trying
to
push
States
out
of
participating
and
from
everything
I've
listened
to
it
is.
It
is
the
way
to
go,
because
it's
the
only
way
to
get
cross-state
information
around
the
moves
to
stay
accurate,
so
I
want
to
commend
you
all
for
continuing
to
participate
in
the
Eric
program.
L
H
H
On
this
charger,
please,
so
we
can
hear
you
I
have
us!
Thank
you.
We
do
do
we
do
list
maintenance
on
this
and
local
level.
Can
the
county
clerks
do
this
every
day,
they're
constantly
purging
voters
for
the
deaths
and,
like
Taylor
said
there
are
some
that
do
a
little
bit
better
of
a
job,
because
they
have
more
more
resources
to
do
that.
But
every
week
the
SB
gets
a
list
from
Vital,
Statistics
and
I
I.
Don't
know
those
numbers
sound
a
little
low,
they
do
sound
low
and
I.
H
A
A
M
You
thank
you
Mr
chairman
I,
just
want
to
follow
up
at
the
beginning,
and
you
touched
on
a
lot
of
that,
as
you
went
through
your
presentation,
but
I
just
want
to
follow
up
when
you
were
making
the
presentation
at
the
very
beginning.
You
said
you
have
other
methods
used
and
you
explain
some
of
those
methods.
I
So
representative
Graham,
the
one
thing
I
I,
don't
think
I
actually
said
it
was
just
trying
to
imply
it
that
one
of
the
goals
of
our
voter
list
maintenance
efforts.
We
do
not
want
to
take
anyone
off
the
rolls
that
should
otherwise
be
on
the
rolls
we're
we're
very,
very
cautious
about
that
and
to
that
end,
no,
we
we
follow
the
statutory
program,
we
don't
go
outside
and
try
to
do
any
independent
investigation
and
any
of
that,
because
we're
we're
not
looking
to
to
remove
anyone
that
should
rightfully
be
on
the
rolls.
M
So
when
an
individual
is
accidentally
purged,
they
just
have
to
notify
the
county
clerk
that
that
information
was
incorrect
and
they're
still
at
that
particular
address
correct.
And
so
so
what
you're
saying
that
there
are
methods
to
protect
every
voter
in
this
Commonwealth
to
make
sure
that
they
are
guaranteed
when
they
show
up
to
the
polls
that
they
will
be
able
to
to
to
vote.
Correct.
I
M
Who's
been
denied
the
right
to
vote.
Correct,
well,
I
want
to
take
this
opportunity
just
to
say
that
you
know
voting
is
the
most
important
thing
we
have
in
citizenship,
and
we
ought
to
make
sure
that
every
individual
who
lives
in
the
Commonwealth
of
Kentucky
or
any
of
the
other
49
states
have
access
to
the
right
to
vote
as
long
as
they're
18
years
old
and
are
willing
to
participate
in
the
process.
M
I
If,
if
you've
been
registered
since
the
day,
you
turned
18
but
have
never
voted
what
we
will
do,
what
we've
started
doing
since
the
consent
judgment
and
secretary
Adams
tenure,
we
will
send
once
those
two
Federal
elections
hit
and
you
still
haven't
voted.
We've
noticed
that
you
haven't
voted.
That's
what
I
I
just
said,
we're
going
to
send
you
a
postcard
and
just
say:
hey:
we've,
we've
noticed
no
action
with
this
registration.
Is
this
still
a
good
address
for
you?
I
Are
you
still
wanting
to
be
a
registered
voter
and
then
presumably
the
voter
will
take
some
action.
Like
I
said
the
postage
is
already
paid
on
the
postcard.
All
they
have
to
do
check
it,
send
it
back
in
the
mail
they
can
go
online
if
they'd
like
to,
as
I
said,
touch
the
system
to
update
somehow
if
they
want
to
change
their
party
or
anything
like
that,
that'll
get
it
as
well
or
if
it
I'm.
Sorry.
If.
K
I
K
H
They
would
they
would
be
able
to
have
a
a
hearing
with
the
local
County
Board
of
Elections
to
determine,
if
that,
if
it
was
done
properly,
if,
if
they
weren't
registered
anymore,
if
they're,
if
they
had,
if
they
had
turned
off,
if
they
had,
if
they
had
done
what
they,
if
they
were
properly
removed,
then
they
would
have
an
opportunity
to
go
before
the
County
Board
of
Elections
State
their
case
and
the
County
Board
would
make
that
decision.
If
there
was
an
error
or
something
that
would
cause
them
to
be
able
to
vote,
they.
K
E
H
Can
answer
that
one
specifically
for
Owensboro
the
Bluegrass
Museum,
as
you
as
representative
Johnson
knows-
was
the
State
Building
at
one
time
and
the
state
building
that
used
to
be
the
the
place
where?
Where,
if
you
were
homeless,
we
would
register
you
at
the
State
Building,
because
that
was
the
official
place
that
we
would
do.
Some
counties
use
their
Courthouse.
H
E
Thank
you
for
that,
because
I
had
no
clue
an
issue.
That's
been
brought
to
my
attention.
Multiple
times
is
that
we
and
it's
and
of
course,
I'm
thinking,
Davis
County.
We
have
more
registered
voters
if
I
get
this
right.
More
registered
voters
on
the
list
than
we
do
eligible
adults
in
Davis,
County
and
I'm
hoping
this
cycling
that
you're
going
through
is
going
to
clean
that
up.
But
my
question
is:
do
we
have
any
anticipated
day
when
we
can
go?
E
I
Yeah
I
can't
give
you
an
exact
date,
obviously,
but
yeah
I.
Think
as
I
was
saying,
the
the
more
federal
election
Cycles
we
go
through.
You
know,
like
I,
said
we.
This
was
the
very
first
one
we
did
under
this
program
in
February
and
we
removed
127
000
registrations
that
were
ineligible
and
those
numbers
are
just
going
to
snowball
and,
as
each
year
passes
is
more
Federal.
Elections
pass
yeah
we're
going
to
continue
to
see
more
and
more
and
ultimately
get
more
in
line.
E
F
What
they
can
do
is
submit
information
to
you
all
and
you
all
follow
up
at
the
State
Board
of
election
and
actually
remove
that
voter
I
am
correcting
that
absolutely
yes,
I
just
want
to
clarify
that
for
the
public.
So
there's
no
misunderstanding
there
and
a
lot
of
my
questions
have
been
asked.
But
one
question:
y'all
referred
to
citizen
verification.
I
I'll,
let
Richard
speak
more
to
the
registration
part
of
that
question,
but
I
would
answer
for
the
removal
part
of
that
question.
With
an
offshoot
of
how
I
answered
representative
Graham's
question
that
we're
not
an
investigatory
body,
we
we
follow
what
the
statutes
allow
us
to
do
as
it
relates
to
voter
list
maintenance
right
now.
There's
nothing
that
says
we
have
the
ability
to
research
any
individual's
citizen
or
citizen
Citizenship
status.
H
Not
an
U.S
citizen
and
I
will
tell
you
I've
had
in
personally
and
had
people
that
come
to
our
office,
because
when
they're
seeking
citizenship,
when
they're
going
through
the
process,
if
they're
found
to
have
done
that,
that's
that
can
throw
their
citizenship
out.
I
mean
put
their
citizenship
opportunities
in
Jeopardy.
So
I've
had
literally
little
ladies
come
to
the
office
crime
because
they
didn't
realize
what
they
did
at
driver's
license.
H
A
N
Thank
you
on
that
same
point.
Heritage,
as
you
probably
know,
has
a
state
score
card
that
lists
and
ranks
States
for
voter
integrity
after
the
2021
legislation
that
you
all
worked
on.
We
went
up
three
points.
Last
year
we
went
down
to
not
because
we
passed
bad
laws,
but
because
other
states
did
more
than
we
on
certain
points,
and
this
is
one
of
them,
the
the
verification
of
citizenship.
They
they
give
us
zero
points
out
of
two
for
using
the
systematic,
alien
verification
for
entitlement.
N
A
A
J
Follow
up
on
representative
Tipton's
question
the
120
County
clerks
are
sending
death
removal
notices
to
the
state
board,
so
those
would
be
reflected
in
your
totals.
So
out
of
those
120
counties
we
had
1
228
death.
Removals
last
year
seems
like
we
probably
had
more
than
10
people
per
County
die,
so
it
would
seem
to
be
problematic.
Another
thing
just
to
verify
that
you
said
the
the
8d2
notices
as
soon
as
those
are
mailed.
That
person
goes
on.
The
inactive
voter
list
is
that
correct.
J
A
Anybody
else
real
quickly.
Well,
thank
you
all
that
was
a
lot
of
questions
and
you
all
done
a
fine
job
answer
and
I
appreciate
your
time
today.
Thank
you
for
again
coming
today
and
and
after
being
rescheduled
from
the
last
month.
We
appreciate
you
being
here
and
a
very
good
report,
and
we
certainly
appreciate
you
being
here
with
us
today.
Thank
you
all
very
much
appreciate.
A
A
D
Thank
you,
chairman
Hale
and
chairman
bradsher
and
chairman
Mills,
for
allowing
me
to
come
before
your
committee
today,
I'm
state
representative,
Richard
Heath
from
District
Two
I,
represent
all
of
graves
county
and
a
portion
of
McCracken
County
and
I.
Allow
my
guests
to
introduce
himself
for
the
record.
Go.
D
D
So,
as
you
know,
I'm
a
chair
of
the
house,
agriculture
committee,
I'm
honored,
to
serve
in
that
capacity.
Agriculture
holds
a
special
place
in
my
heart,
both
as
representative
a
district,
that's
very
heavy
in
agriculture
and
as
a
graduate
of
Murray,
State
University
with
a
master's
degree
in
agriculture.
D
So,
if
you
recall,
House
Bill
500
passed
out
of
the
house
with
a
vote
of
85
to
9..
However,
we
were
in
a
short
session
and
time
kind
of
ran
out.
The
clock
ran
out
on
it
and
it
did
not
get
a
hearing
in
the
Senate,
so
I'm
hoping
with
this
report
here
today
and
with
the
help
of
this
committee
that
we
can
get
that
hurt
in
the
Senate
this
during
the
next
2024
session.
D
Kentucky's
agriculture
sector
is
not
merely
just
a
contributor,
but
rather
a
linchpin
of
our
state's
economy.
Statistics
emphasize
it's
important
with
agriculture,
accounting
for
45
billion
dollars
in
annual
economic
input
representing
20
percent
of
Kentucky's
total
economy,
it
provides
employment
to
over
260
000
individuals.
D
This
touches
the
lives
of
one
in
five
residents,
so
our
state
excels
as
a
top
producer
of
beef,
poultry,
soybeans
and
corn,
bolstering
of
vibrant
agribusiness
environment.
Moreover,
Kentucky's
distinction
as
a
global
leader
in
Thoroughbred
breeding
enhances
its
agriculture,
Powers
Beyond,
Financial
contributions.
Agriculture
is
integral
in
sustaining
rural
communities,
preserving
our
cultural
inheritance
and
promoting
a
reasonable
land
stewardship.
D
The
need
for
legislation
like
House
Bill
500
arises
from
growing
concerns
about
foreign
investment,
particularly
from
nice
sins
with
malicious
intent.
This
proposed
Bill
draws
inspiration
from
similar
measures
adopted
by
other
states
as
diverse
as
California
and
South
Dakota,
along
with
Nations.
Like
Australia,
just
in
2023
alone,
15
states,
Alabama,
Arkansas,
Florida,
Idaho,
Indiana,
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Montana,
North,
Dakota,
Oklahoma,
South,
Dakota,
Tennessee,
Utah,
Virginia
and
West
Virginia
have
enacted
legislation
addressing
foreign
ownership
of
agriculture
land.
D
Many
of
these
states
were
addressing
concern
regarding
the
purchase
or
attempted
purchasing
of
large
tracts
of
agricultural
land
near
military
installations
in
2022,
a
Chinese
firm
about
370
acres
for
a
corn
Milling
plant
that
would
have
been
located
about
12
miles
from
Grand
Forks
Air
Force
Base.
The
Grand
Forks
base
is
home
of
the
319th
air
base
wing,
including
surveillance,
drones
and
overseas
satellites.
D
Since
2016,
a
company
owned
by
chinese-based
real
estate,
Tycoon
and
I,
don't
speak
Chinese.
So
forgive
me
if
I
butcher,
the
name
but
Sean
Wang
Shin
sunwan
ching,
has
spent
an
estimated
110
million
dollars
buying
up
land
in
Valverde
County
Texas
poverty
county
is
home
to
only
about
50
000
people,
mostly
hunting
ranches,
but
it's
also
home
to
the
Laughlin
Air
Force
Base,
a
training
ground
for
military
pilots.
In
less
than
two
years,
son
bought
approximately
140
000
Acres
near
the
base
through
subsidiaries.
He
controls.
D
Since
2018
a
business
named
Flannery
Associates
LLC
has
purchased
55
000
Acres
of
Farmland
in
Sloan
County
California,
there's
been
no
activity
or
plans
developed
for
the
land,
and
there
are
major
concerns
about
the
two
about
who
Flannery
Associates
is,
and
the
land
question
is
extremely
close
to
the
Travis
Air
Force
Base.
All
these
examples
come
as
Federal
investigators
have
publicly
stated
that
examining
a
chinese-based
malware
that
potentially
has
the
capacity
to
disrupt
military
operations
across
the
country.
D
B
A
D
I
apologize
from
a
national
security
perspective,
the
bill
provides
critical
infrastructure
protection,
foreign
ownership
of
agricultural
land,
especially
by
those
with
whom
we
do
not
enjoy
positive
Democrat
diplomatic
relations
raises
legitimate
concerns
about
its
use
and
potential
vulnerabilities.
This
will
allow
State
authorities
to
evaluate
foreign
Acquisitions
for
any
potential
security
threats
by
taking
a
proactive
steps,
identify
and
mitigate
these
risks.
Our
overall
security
posture
will
be
strengthened.
D
Another
compelling
aspect
of
the
legislation
is
its
role
in
preventing
Market
manipulation
by
Foreign
Nations.
The
bill
would
would
Empower
Kentucky
to
gain
insight
into
intentions
of
foreign
investors
in
agriculture
sector.
This,
in
turn
helps
in
assessing
whether
such
Acquisitions
could
potentially
disrupt
local
markets
are
distort
prices.
D
D
This
bill
will
provide
the
ability
to
maintain
a
stable,
self-reliant
food
supply
chain
by
proactively
monitoring
land
Acquisitions.
The
state
can
identify
potential
risk
and
vulnerabilities
and
take
preemptive
measures
to
protect
its
ability
to
produce
crops
used
for
food.
In
essence,
this
bill
serves
as
a
practical
safeguard
for
the
food
security
of
all
kentuckians.
D
D
One
of
the
concerns
was
to
elevate
transparency
in
transparency
in
the
process
and,
in
addition
to
being
made
to
the
bill
that
would
there's
an
addition
being
made
to
the
bill
that
would
establish
a
foreign
investment
review
board.
The
acronym
for
foreign
investment
review
board
is
Ferb
similar
to
the
successful
model
used
by
Australia
and
I,
want
to
give
a
shout
out
to
my
friend
here
today
for
bringing
that
to
my
attention.
Chauncey
brought
this
information
to
me
last
session,
but
again
short
session.
D
This
legislation
fortifies
Kentucky's
food
security,
safeguards
against
unscrupulous
Market
manipulation
and
bolsters
Homeland
Security.
It
ensures
that
foreign
investment
aligns
with
our
national
interest
and
encompasses
economic
growth
while
preventing
misuse
of
malicious
actors.
It
is
important
to
acknowledge
the
potential
concerns
some
might
have
with
the
legislation.
D
It
is
imperative
note
that
this
bill
does
not
discourage
foreign
investment
from
Nations,
not
on
the
federal
codes
list,
nor
would
it
prevent
expansion
by
Foreign
owned
business
already
located
here.
Kentucky
has
thrived
by
being
open
to
foreign
investment.
Large
employers,
like
Toyota
Lexmark,
GE,
Appliances,
All
Foreign
owned
exemplify
productive
foreign
investments
that
we
welcome
in
our
state.
D
D
At
that
time
they
were
neutral
and
I
haven't
heard
anything
different
up
to
this
point,
so
I'm,
assuming
they
are
still
neutral,
almost
finished
among
certain
another
concern
that
was
brought
to
us
last
year
were
a
potential
penalty
penalties
and
by
adding
the
foreign
investment
review
board
to
this
version
and
giving
that
board
the
authority
to
outline
penalties,
then
that
concern
would
be
addressed
as
well.
So,
in
conclusion,
the
legislation
represents
a
proactive
balance
approach
to
address
the
potential
and
negative
consequences
of
some
foreign
purchases
of
agriculture
land
in
Kentucky.
D
It
safeguards
our
agriculture
resources,
enhances
our
national
security
and
promotes,
promotes
economic
stability
all
while
encouraging
responsible
foreign
investment,
so
I've
started
the
process
of
this
legislation
early
to
receive
feedback
and
suggestion
from
both
industry
and
experts
and
fellow
legislators.
Please
know
that
I
want
to
hear
from
you
and
hear
your
thoughts
as
we
move
forward
and
I
want
to
turn
Mike
over
to
Chauncey
and
Morris
at
this
time
for
remarks
for
his
ideals
that
was
brought
from
last
session.
O
No
worries
so
I
just
want
to
lead
off
that
this
bill
has
Zero
Effect
to
my
industry.
Currently
we
have
zero
investment
from
these
countries,
but
things
change.
You
never
know
what
happened
and
chairman
Heath.
Let
us
know
that
we
wouldn't
be
adversely
affected.
That
is
true.
A
firm
would
allow
piercing
the
corporate
veil
to
assess
whether
someone
is
in
fact
an
agent
from
one
of
these
countries.
I
think
that
that's
a
very
important
thing,
the
cumulative
assets
all
equine
investments
in
the
Commonwealth
are
27.7
billion
dollars.
O
We
know
that
to
be
true
from
a
a
recent
UK
study,
so
no
responsible
industry
wants
to
trip
the
wire
I'd,
also
say
on
the
North
Dakota
thing
that
a
former
ambassador
to
China
that
I
got
to
know
well,
as
a
governor
of
Iowa,
Terry
Branstad
reminded
me
something
really
important
in
in
Beijing
that
our
efforts
are
not
to
decouple
they
are
to
mitigate
risk.
That's
everything
that
that
really
the
United
States
is
supposed
to
stand
for,
and
I
think
that
that
is
accomplished
by
this
bill.
Thank
you.
A
M
D
M
Up
you
may
I
I
really
have
a
tough
time.
I
did,
as
you
can
see,
I
didn't
vote
for
your
bill
and
it
was
nothing
personal,
but
I
truly
believe
that
this
is
a
federal
government
issue
rather
than
a
state
government
issue
and
because
of
that
I
think
we're
stretching
our
power.
That
is
basically
in
the
hands
of
the
federal
government.
D
I
would
agree,
it
is
a
federal
issue
and
I
think
we've
known
from
a
past
experience
that
when
States
pass
legislation
on
the
state
level
and
enough
States
cross
that
threshold,
then
the
feds
start
paying
attention
and
that's
that's
our
hope.
With
this
I
agree,
the
feds
are
looking
at
it.
I
see
no
reason
to
sit
back
and
wait
for
them.
This
is
a
preemptive
strike
to
protect
Kentucky
and
Kentucky
Farmland.
Let.
M
Their
parents
may
be
wealthy
enough
if
a
child
is
is,
is
allowed
to
come
to
the
University
of
Kentucky
or
the
University
of
Louisville
or
to
any
prestigious
University
in
this
country,
and
they
have
the
money
to
pay
for
that
child
to
own
property,
while
they're
here,
whether
they're
studying
for
a
four-year
degree
or
a
doctorate
degree
or
in
medicine.
How
would
that
impact
them
to
be
able
to
do
that?
Obviously,
in
reading
this,
they
would
not
be
able
to
purchase
property,
just
personal
property,
and
you
can
answer
whether
or
not
that's
correct.
D
So
I'll
refer
you
back
to
house
bill
500
from
last
session
section
one
item
two,
but
it
lists
the
individuals
and
it
says
after
the
effective
date
of
this
axis
so
non-residential
alien
foreign
business
agent,
trustee
fiduciary
associated
with
the
government
of
any
of
those
countries.
So
specifically
said
those
individuals
are
tied
to
the
government
is,
is
the
way
I
understand
it?
So
if
they're
here
you
know
as
just
a
citizen
of
that
country,
I,
don't
think
this
applies
to
them.
E
Thank
you,
Mr,
chairman,
first
off
representative,
hey,
thank
you
for
your
work
on
this
I
think
it's
very
important,
I
do
have
a
question,
and-
and
my
question
is,
does
this
go
far
enough?
If,
if
this
is
strictly
dealing
with
agricultural
land,
there
are
other
properties,
I'm
sure
adjacent
to
our
military
installations
and
other
sensitive
areas
that
are
also
of
concern?
Should
this
bill
also
include
other
types
of
land
of
the
types
of
property,
or
should
it
be
a
separate
bill
or
am
I
just
going
too
far.
D
I,
don't
have
a
good
answer
for
that
I'm
open
for
suggestions.
That's
one
reason
for
presenting
this
early.
As
you
know
here
in
Kentucky
we
have
Fort
Campbell
Fort
Knox
Bluegrass
Army
Depot
Paducah
gaseous
diffusion
plant
in
my
end
of
the
state.
So
you
know
if
we,
if
we
need
to
expand
it,
I'm
not
opposed
to
that.
I
was
primarily
concerned
with
with
Farmland
that
joined
our
military
bases
and
and
not
go
down
the
same
road
that
North
Dakota
and
Texas
found
themselves
in
in
California,
so
open
to
suggestions
on
that.
C
Thank
you,
Mr
chairman
representative,
I,
appreciate
you
bringing
this
bill.
I
think
that
it
shows
that,
finally,
someone
is
willing
to
take
their
head
out
of
the
sand
and
and
actually
start
looking
at
some
of
the
issues
facing
our
our
nation.
As
far
as
other
countries
are
are
concerned,
I
mean
you
know.
C
That's
that's
what
the
country
is
natural
gas
facility
and
we've
known
for
years
that,
because
they
are
so
much
dependent
on
natural
gas
and
they
make
so
they
sell
so
much
of
it,
and
we
actually
know
that
they
have
in
the
past.
Funded
are
environmental
communities,
efforts
to
Outlaw
natural
gas
and
other
fossil
fuels?
So
but
we
pay
no
attention
to
what
these
countries
are
doing
or
their
motives
or
actually
how
it
affects
our
country
and
it's
time
that
we
stop
doing
that.
And
so
I
commend
you
for
for
your
bill.
C
C
How
much
Farmland
is
it
okay
to
turn
into
from
food
to
fuel
production?
It's
just
something:
we've
got
to
talk
about,
and
so
I
commend
you
for
this,
but
just
wanted
to
mention
that
there
are
other
areas
out
there
that
we
simply
are
not
talking
about.
That
are
also
very,
very
important.
Thank
you.
Mr
chairman.
A
O
If,
if
you
don't
mind
representative
Graham,
the
scenario
that
you
painted
was
exactly
the
one
that
we
posited
to
Chairman
Heath
during
the
last
session
want
to
be
very,
very
clear
here,
because
we're
saying
that
this
isn't
going
to
have
an
adverse
effect
on
our
industry.
You're
talking
about
an
agent
of
a
foreign
government.
So
as
long
as
that,
individual
is
not
an
agent
of
the
foreign
government,
and
you
can
you
can
Pierce
that
corporate
Bill
and
really
assess
that.