
Bill Could End Telework for State Government Employees
Clip: Season 3 Episode 192 | 3m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
Government employees would have to return to office under legislation being debated in Frankfort.
Thousands of state government employees would have to return to the office under legislation up for consideration in Frankfort. State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor added a floor amendment to SB 79 that would prohibit government workers from teleworking unless an emergency is declared. This bill allows for some exceptions, but still sparked bi-partisan debate.
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Kentucky Edition is a local public television program presented by KET

Bill Could End Telework for State Government Employees
Clip: Season 3 Episode 192 | 3m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
Thousands of state government employees would have to return to the office under legislation up for consideration in Frankfort. State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor added a floor amendment to SB 79 that would prohibit government workers from teleworking unless an emergency is declared. This bill allows for some exceptions, but still sparked bi-partisan debate.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> Thousands of state government employees would have to return to the office under legislation up for consideration Stead Senator Lindsey Titian or Floor Amendment to Senate Bill 79.
The amendment would prohibit employees of the executive digitial and legislative branches from tele working and less an emergency is declared.
The bill allows for some exceptions such as inspectors motor vehicle enforcement and it the amendment spark some bipartisan debate.
This body firmly believes that that are off.
Our government should operate efficiently and it should operate to serve the citizens of this state.
>> And unfortunately, we've had 5 years now of broad teleworking across all of our government agencies.
And this is to bring us back to work as legislators in this room.
>> How often do we need to call on People Bay Night and weekends because of constituent concerns that are very important.
How often do we do that with emergencies under this definition of telework, we will have a labor violation.
We will not be able to do that.
My concern is that it without.
Huge change because we don't want to rush something through.
That would be better middle to Kentucky.
Without talking to the See the direct deal R C. How do we know how this is going to impact services?
But I too have received calls from constituents.
Very worried about the lack of return phone calls.
When I visited those cabinets, these beautiful buildings that we have in this beautiful capital here in the Commonwealth.
You can see tumble weeds rolling through the whole place.
They were And it worry me to a great degree.
That if we're going to have effective governing.
And do the right thing for our people.
That we need people.
To be.
I would urge that we vote no.
On this bill as it is currently crafting here.
A couple of the issues with this centralized employee.
Is defined as an employee that's necessary for the functioning of the the office.
>> If you got that definitions are close.
Sometimes we get definitions and we think we know what the definition is in this bill.
A non centralized employees by definition, the bill is somebody who's not necessary for the functioning of the cabinet of the quite frankly.
Under this bill.
That nonsense lies employee shouldn't be employed.
Why are we employing people that are not necessary for the functioning of the office?
>> Now that amendment narrowly passed with 21 votes in favor of it.
It was attached to Senate Bill 79 and that entire bill passed.
25 to 10 the bill by state Senator Chris McDaniel looks at addressing some of the management issues within the Department of Juvenile Justice, which has seen a number of
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