LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two Republican leaders shared their plans for the upcoming legislative session at a luncheon in downtown Louisville on Wednesday.

The 2023 Kentucky General Assembly Preview was hosted by the Louisville Forum at Vincenzo's. Sen. Damon Thayer, Majority Floor Leader, and Rep. Jason Nemes, Majority Whip, spoke about the future of Kentucky.

The Louisville Forum said a representative from the Governor's office was expected to attend, but last minute pulled out. Democrat Congressman-elect Morgan McGarvey was also in attendance.

The hour long program started with a few questions from moderator Joe Arnold, president of The Louisville Forum.

Sports betting

Both Nemes and Thayer responded to the first question about gray machines, which resemble slot machines, saying they're against them because they are not skill-based betting.

Next, discussion moved to sports betting.

In 2022, a bill legalizing sports betting died in the Senate. Thayer said he supports sports betting in Kentucky, but is only "one vote."

"I think it is an extension of the history and tradition we have in Kentucky of betting on another legal sport, horse racing," Sen. Thayer said.

He couldn't say if a sports betting bill would get enough votes in the upcoming session.

"If the house sends us a bill I will be advocating for it. Shepherding it is probably a strong term. Advocating for it I will be doing," Thayer added.

Medical marijuana

Gov. Andy Beshear exercised his executive power in November to change medical marijuana access. Beshear signed an executive order that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023 that allows Kentuckians to possess and use eight or fewer ounces of medical marijuana, under prescribed medical conditions, if it's legally purchased in another state.

"Yes, it's legal, its power in the Constitution that is provided to the governor. But listen there, there are lots of complications in it," Beshear said Monday in a one on one with WDRB News.

Nemes, who's been a driving force for legalizing medical marijuana, disagreed, saying Beshear doesn't have the power to sign an executive order legalizing it. But said he is not giving up pushing for legalizing medical marijuana through legislation.

"This is the right thing to do. It's an unqualified good for our state. And we're gonna get it," Nemes said.

Thayer said he wouldn't stop a bill for medical marijuana, but he wouldn't vote for it either.

Income and sales taxes

The Republican super majority passed a trigger law to incrementally lower the state's income tax over the next few years, as long as the state reaches financial benchmarks along the way. House Bill 8 passed earlier this year, which will drop the state's income tax from 5% to 4.5% at the beginning of 2023.

"Republicans believe people should keep more of what they earn and decide how much tax they pay by how much they consume," Thayer said.

Sales taxes are expanding into more than 30 different industries to accommodate some of the losses from cutting the state's income tax.

Nemes said the decrease in income tax will grow the economy in the long-term.

Thayer doesn't expect the income tax to decrease again from 4.5% to 4% until 2024.

Bourbon Barrel Tax

Right now, distilleries pay a distilled spirits tax on each barrel of bourbon aging each year — essentially a property tax — which goes to local entities. The largest chuck from the tax benefits school districts in those counties.

When asked about removing the bourbon barrel tax, Thayer believes it would be better to not have the tax on aging barrels. Nemes agreed with Thayer, but both want to be careful on how the tax is removed.

Abortion

Kentucky voters rejected a ballot measure in November that would have denied abortion rights in the state's constitution in November. A week later, the state's Supreme Court weighed the constitutionality of a statewide ban approved by lawmakers. The case is the first legal test since voters in Kentucky and three other states signaled their support for abortion rights in the midterm elections.

The Kentucky justices reviewed a challenge to the state's trigger law that banned nearly all abortions, taking effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June by the U.S. Supreme Court. Approved in 2019, the law carved out narrow exceptions to save a pregnant woman’s life or to prevent disabling injury.

Nemes, who supports exceptions for rape and incest, expects a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling on the trigger law as soon as Thursday.

"We will be in a reactionary mode," Nemes said.

Thayer doesn't expect any exceptions for abortions to pass in the General Assembly this upcoming session.

"We're pretty, pretty pro life caucus, I think it's going to be hard to add further exceptions," he said.

The session begins January 3, 2023. There are six new senators and 25 new representatives. Republicans still hold the supermajority.

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