Kentucky lawmakers won’t be able to file proposed bills until the next legislative session starts Jan. 7. But that hasn’t stopped them from saying what they plan to submit.

During the 2024 interim, several legislators shared draft bills they plan to file during in the 2025 legislative session. While some are bills that have been filed in previous years, others are new ideas.

The only way to view pre-filed bills publicly is if lawmakers share their drafts on their own social media accounts, websites or as part of meeting materials for interim committees. That’s because legislation passed in 2022 removed the process of posting pre-filed bills on the Legislative Research Commission’s website.

Here’s a look at some of the bills lawmakers have shared or said are expected to appear during session.

Requiring bathrooms by ‘biological sex’

In August, Republican Rep. Matt Lockett shared draft language of a bill that would require more than a majority of restrooms in public schools be designated for a specific biological sex.

At an Interim Joint Committee on Education meeting, Lockett said the bill is a response to Fayette County Public Schools building gender-neutral restrooms with individual private floor-to-ceiling stalls at Britton Middle School.

His draft bill would require at least 90% of restroom facilities in school buildings that serve more than 100 students be designated for “a specific sex.”

Lockett said the bill’s goal is to protect children and provide “a facility for learning where they won’t feel threatened, embarrassed or be afraid to use the restroom.”

Prohibiting some sex offenders from Halloween activities

Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, announced in October he plans to file a bill that would prohibit many people on Kentucky’s sex offender registry from participating in Halloween activities involving minors.

In the draft copy of the bill, registrants who have committed criminal offenses against minors would be prohibited from engaging in Halloween-related activities. That would include trick-or-treating, costume parties where children are present or events involving the distribution of candy to kids.

The bill would apply to 14 days before and after Oct. 31 of each year. Violating the restrictions would result in a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class D felony for subsequent offenses.

Making fluoridation in water optional

Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, is renewing the push to make fluoridation in water optional for local districts.

The bill Hart said he plans to file again next session would eliminate the state’s water fluoridation mandate. Last year’s legislative session was the first time Hart’s bill received a committee hearing, but it didn’t make it across the finish line.

Hart said the bill wouldn’t ban the use of fluoride but would protect the state from liability related to “risks” stemming from fluoride exposure, citing data from a report released by the National Toxicology Program.

Meanwhile, prominent health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and American Academy of Pediatrics, say adding small amounts of fluoride to public drinking water helps strengthen teeth, with research showing fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by 25% in children and adults.

Holding parents accountable for gun violence involving minors

Republican Rep. Kim Banta, with Democratic Rep. Tina Bojanowski as co-sponsor, plans to file a bill that would hold parents and guardians accountable for gun violence carried out by a minor in their care.

The Kentucky Lantern reported that Banta’s bill would let individuals who are hurt or threatened by a minor using a gun sue the minor’s parents or guardians. Besides killing a person, that could also include threatening someone with a gun and shooting a neighbor’s dog.

Requiring licenses for tobacco retailers

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, is working on a bill he believes would help keep tobacco products away from minors.

At an interim committee meeting, Higdon said his bill would require licensing for all sellers of vape or tobacco products, allowing for enforcement by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The bill also would implement stricter fines and penalties for retailers who violate the law and allow ABC officers to inspect businesses without a warrant.

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski. 

Kentucky came into Saturday’s game against Florida ranking third in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.99). Following a thrilling 106-100 win over the previously undefeated Gators, UK will likely end the day ranked at the very top.

The Wildcats dished out 25 assists to just six turnovers (4.19 ratio) in what was one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season. Kentucky has posted similar figures a handful of times this season, but none of them came against a team as talented as Florida, which had been playing like one of the nation’s top defensive teams over the last few weeks.

“The last six games, (Florida has) the number one analytical half-court defense in the entire country and our guys were 25 assists and six turnovers,” Head coach Mark Pope said postgame. “Like that number guys, I was going to say breathtaking but Lee Anne (Pope) gets mad at me when I say breathtaking. That number is insane. 25 assists, six turnovers against the number one defensive team in the half-court in the country over the last six games, that’s crazy.”

Lamont Butler led the way for Kentucky with eight dimes while a pair of big men, Amari Williams and Andrew Carr, both chipped in five assists each. Seven Wildcats recorded at least one assist. No one had more than two turnovers. Kentucky shot 58 percent from the field as a team and 48 percent from deep.

“I think we trusted in each other, trusted in ourselves, played off two feet, wasn’t going in there wild,” Butler, who turned the ball over just twice, said postgame. “I know I have to continue to work on my turnovers, I think I had some careless ones tonight. It’s a big point of emphasis for us all. We continue to try to be good in that category.”

Respectfully, Lamont, 25 assists to six turnovers is better than just good. That’s a pretty damn impressive stat.

Six turnovers are the second-fewest of the season for Kentucky. 25 assists rank third-most. Including Brandon Garrison, over half (13) of UK’s assists came via the frontcourt — that might be the craziest part about these passing numbers. There were stretches in the second half when Williams was personally carving up the Gators with aggressive (and instinctual) playmaking. Backdoor cuts were easily accessible.

“They were pressing up at first and we found the passes,” Williams said. “We got great cutters, I feel like that’s the best thing about our team. Lamont had a lot of backdoors, Otega (Oweh), Koby (Brea), Jaxson (Robinson). Guys like that cutting, it makes our job a lot easier.”

Pope has emphasized more off-ball movement as of late. His players listened against Florida. The result was a near-flawless offensive performance against a tough SEC defense.

Florida and Kentucky are ready for an important SEC matchup in January Saturday and the odds and predictions are in for the Gators and Wildcats.

Both teams have yet to play an SEC team, but are hot right now. At 13-0, Florida is ranked No. 6 in the country while Kentucky is ranked No. 10 and sports an 11-2 record.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the latest odds and predictions for Florida and Kentucky.

Odds for Florida vs. Kentucky

Coming into the game, Florida is a 3.5 point underdog to Kentucky going to Lexington, per FanDuel. The total is set at 166.5 points.

If you want to bet the moneyline, the Gators are listed at +138 while the Wildcats are listed at -166.

Final score predictions for Florida vs. Kentucky

BPI Predicted winner: Kentucky
BPI Predicted point differential: 3.1
BPI Win probability (for Kentucky): 62.1%
BPI Matchup Quality: 91.8

ESPN’s BPI is a model designed to provide a statistical comparison between two teams and predict future success. Here, the Gators are projected to lose to the Wildcats by a little over three points, so it’s very similar to the Vegas line.

Despite that, this is a highly rated matchup, per ESPN’s BPI. It’s the third highest ranked game of the Saturday slate and the highest ranked SEC matchup.

KenPom Predicted final score: Florida 83, Kentucky 82
KenPom Win probability (for Florida): 52%

KenPom flipped the prediction and picked Florida to win a tight game on the road but one point. The percentage at just over 50% doesn’t inspire much confidence, so this is pretty much a pick ‘em from a betting standpoint.

KenPom is another predictive system for college basketball. It’s designed to show how strong a team is at a given time, without taking factors like injuries into account.

How to watch Florida vs. Kentucky

Time: 11:00 a.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Lexington, Kentucky

Florida and Kentucky are set for a Saturday morning tipoff, so make sure to get your coffee and breakfast done, or ready, and strap in for a high quality basketball matchup. Big Blue will be on display welcoming the Gators.

The game can be found on ESPN nationwide.