LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In just over three weeks, Kentucky's lawmakers will convene in Frankfort for the 2025 legislative session. Two top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle gave Louisvillians an idea Wednesday on what issues to expect be taken on.

Kentucky Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, and Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, participated in Louisville Forum's December luncheon and addressed top issues.

One of Yates top priorities this session will be to address housing.  

The Kentucky Housing Task Force, established in 2024, found that the state is facing an unprecedented housing shortage of around 206,000 units that could grow to 280,000.

"When we talk about housing, first thing tops of mind is affordable housing. And affordable housing is very, very important, but in Kentucky, based on the task force, because we need all housing," Yates said. "I think you're going to see a lot of maybe some carrots and incentives and tax incentives for housing the policy."

Yates also mentioned DEI as an issue that will be brought up. Kentucky's new Senate Majority Leader Max Wise told WDRB it as a top issue he plans to take on this session.

"I think that it's going to be really important this year to engage the community in our debate," Yates said.

Nemes said Kentuckians can expect lowering the income tax to be brought up early this session. The current income tax is 4%. Nemes said lawmakers will take up a vote to lower it to 3.5%.

GOP lawmakers are committed to eliminating income taxes in Kentucky.

"We want to make sure it's a long term plan to growth. We're a poor state. We're not going to tax our way... into prosperity, but it's a way that we can grow long term. It's a conservative approach to a conservative goal," Nemes said.

Yates said lowering taxes can be good if it is well thought out.

"I think this can be a good thing the way it's set right down to 3.5 as long as we do it responsibly," Yates said. "When you're talking about working families and drawing people in, not only you're wanting to bring the corporation, but you got to bring the ready, willing and able workforce with them. And so it's that balanced approach."

As for addressing education, specifically in JCPS, the two lawmakers shared similar concerns but had different ideas how to approach the issue.

For example, both brought up the state task force reviewing JCPS. It recently announced it will ask the legislature to extend its research through 2025 before making any legislative recommendations. 

"I think rightsizing JCPS is the right resolution. If I'm wrong, then that's fine. But I'm going to reach for more than we can grasp," Nemes said. "We have to have governance change at JCPS. We can't continue to have seven board members who control everything in the ways that they've done."

Yates recommended the task force take a broader approach on education as a whole, and try to address more immediate concerns.

"You don’t want it to be witch hunt on our biggest school district. You want accountability, oversight. I want to have the very best education policies we can," Yates said. "Maybe they (the task force) switch over to look at things that we can do better, as far as look at the violence or truancy that do."

Yates also suggested re-assessing the SEEK funding model. SEEK is defined by the Kentucky Department of Education as a, "formula driven allocation of state provided funds to local school districts."

Both lawmakers said it will take more than the state legislature to address concerns with education in JCPS and Kentucky. Yates and Nemes said more mentorship for younger learners could be beneficial.

As far as abortion, both lawmakers addressed it at different points during the discussion.

A question asked Yates if he plans to file a bill to provide exemptions for this current abortion law.

"Yes... I think that majority of people who understand it believe that there should be exemptions in place," Yates said.

When asked about health policies, Nemes brought abortion back up. Nemes said he's talked with OBGYN's who feel they are uncertain how to act in situations where the woman's life is in danger, and feel they should act but unsure if they have authority.

"Clarifying the lines and what they can do is important, because we want to protect the mother, and we also want to protect the child," Nemes said.

The legislative session will begin Jan. 3.

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