FRANKFORT, Ky. - Representative Jerry T. Miller, R-Eastwood, pre-filed a bill in late July to move the candidate filing deadline two weeks earlier from its current calendar date.
The bill, BR 35, is aimed to eliminate what is currently a 'dead' two week time period in election-year legislative sessions. Currently, candidates for state and local office have from the day after an election in November until the last Tuesday in January to file for election. Rep. Miller's bill would move the deadline to the Tuesday prior to the third Monday in January, which is two weeks earlier.
"Right now, the Legislature spends two weeks in January at a huge stand-still as we wait to see who files for election, and who doesn't," said Rep. Miller. "It's a complete waste of time and resources. The Legislature is working on the people's dime, and we need to ensure that we are as efficient as possible with their money."
Aside from the major timeframe change in the bill, Miller's pre-filed version does not make any other major changes to the process surrounding candidate filing deadlines.
"Representative Miller's bill to move the candidate filing deadline date from the last Tuesday in January to the Tuesday before Martin Luther King Day has my full support," said Lynn Hesselbrock, Spencer County Clerk. "This will eliminate a two to three week period every other January and allow Legislators to focus on performing their constitutional duties and doing the work of their constituents rather than avoiding casting votes for fear of who may file to run against them. This is a piece of common sense legislation that should garner bipartisan support because it is simply the right thing to do."
BR 35 has been pre-filed for the 2017 Regular Session, which begins in January.
