The Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort on Feb. 27, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)
Two Kentucky lawmakers are hoping to revive bills in the next legislative session that did not pass through the General Assembly before.
Sen. Greg Elkins, R-Winchester, and Rep. Rachel Roarx, D-Louisville, spoke about their bills in front of the Interim Joint Committee on Local Government Tuesday morning. Elkins’ proposal would allow cremation or burials of unclaimed dead bodies, but it died in the House earlier this year. Roarx’s bill would allow local code enforcement and zoning inspection employees in Louisville to be eligible for hazardous duty retirement. It did not get a committee hearing this year, but was backed by a few Democratic representatives and Republican House Whip Jason Nemes, of Louisville.
Elkins said his bill is a “local control bill” that gives local governments in the state the option of cremating or burying dead bodies in cases where a family member cannot be found. The decision to cremate or bury would be made by the local coroner, fiscal court, consolidated local government or urban-county government that would be responsible for the expense…