A Tale of Guns and Poison

Imagine you are a member of the Kentucky GOP.

You have an overwhelming supermajority in the legislature, which means you can do whatever you want. 

No one — not even that haughty young showoff governor — can stop you. 

Take that, Andy.

And so you show up in January full of hope, prepared for a long, tough budget session, made harder following massive federal budget cuts.

Your constituents are struggling to afford the basics (groceries, housing, childcare); health insurance premiums are through the chimney; a physician shortage crisis looms critical and is worsening; you’ll be prosecuting controversial impeachments; you are set on wresting control from two of the largest school districts; and soon, the United States president and leader of your party will go all in on a war in Iran that drives up gas prices. 

There is so much to do. 

But this is why you ran for office. This is why you’re here.

The Pesticide Bill

Last week you debated at length before passing Senate Bill 199, sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, to shield pesticide companies from lawsuits by consumers who suffer harms, including cancer, from the products.

But here’s the rub. Kentucky is #1 in overall cancer incidence and mortality rates, and right now, “Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court for a ruling on whether federal law protects the company from thousands of lawsuits from people who claim its herbicide Roundup caused their cancer. Roundup contains glyphosate, a broad-use herbicide, that has been the subject of numerous lawsuits that allege the labeling failed to warn of cancer risks.”

Per Forbes — Bayer’s revenue in 2025:  $50.5 billion.

The Senate will have to concur with changes made by the House before SB 199 is sent to the governor’s desk, but no worries. Being in the supermajority is like wearing Dorothy’s red slippers in Oz. 

Just tap three times with a veto override and you’re home.

Gun Bill #1

House Bill 78, sponsored by Rep. TJ Roberts, aims to shield gun manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits. The House voted 75-17 to advance the bill to the Senate.

On the House floor, Roberts wrung his hands over the health of the firearm industry, arguing that lawsuits like these are clandestinely aimed at Second Amendment Rights by stemming the gun supply. “If there is no industry, if there is no supply,” he said, “that right may as well not even exist.”

Not exist?!

(runs to check the numbers)

There are an estimated 400 million civilian-owned guns in the United States. And according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), “in 2024 the firearm and ammunition industry was responsible for as much as $91.65 billion in total economic activity in the country.”

Snakes alive, we could run out of guns?! 

No wonder he’s worried.

Gun Bill #2

House Bill 312, sponsored by Rep. Savannah Maddox, would allow 18 to 20 year olds to carry concealed firearms. It had already passed the House and breezed through the Senate last Friday with a vote of 30-7. 

Easy peasy.

In her social media post celebrating the win, Maddox wrote “Next stop will be the governor’s desk. Will he veto it? If he does, we have a Republican supermajority and can override it. Let’s keep the momentum rolling to make Kentucky the next state to abolish this outdated, discriminatory age-based ban on concealed carry for adults!”

She also wrote, “I’d especially like to thank Majority Floor Leader @maxwellwise for doing some HEAVY lifting in the Senate, along with President Stivers who offered powerful remarks of support in committee.” 

Setting aside the obvious question — How HEAVY was it?! — let us focus on the “powerful remarks of support” from Senate president Stivers in committee.

This is what Stivers said. “Most of you all know who are in here that I have a son that was 19 years old [when he] went into the Marines. I think before age 20 he was a TS 2 which, for people knowing, is top security clearance 2. He was one of the few people in the world that could be armed in the presence of the president because he was attached to the White House detail. And he was 19 years old. I don’t see why he would be disallowed, as the law currently exists, to not do what you’re all advocating what he should be able to do when he can be standing in the presence of the president of the United States, armed, at 19 years old.”

Hey Google, can you answer two quick questions?

What is the training requirement for a United States Marine? The USMC requires extensive and ongoing firearms training. Click here to read the 62 page order governing the Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Program (MCCMP) to include initial qualification and annual qualification with the service rifle and pistol.

What is the training requirement, per KRS 237.110 for a Kentucky citizen to obtain a provisional license? Up to eight hours.

Eight whole hours?! Wow.

Is eight hours a lot?

One week, three bills, lickety split.

As a proud member of the Kentucky GOP supermajority, tap your heels, you’re in the home stretch.

You arrived in Frankfort back in January, prepared for hard work. Your citizens had told you what they needed: affordable food and childcare, health insurance, housing, fuel; a good education and jobs. 

Having such a massive supermajority meant you could make things happen.

No one, not even that pesky Democratic governor, could stop you. 

And so you spent much of last week protecting mutlti-billion dollar corporations — who sell guns and poison — from liability for the sick and the dead. And arming teenagers. 

Is this why you ran for office? Is this why you’re here?

If so, well done, team. 

Well done.

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