Friday, March the 27th.

I'm Renee Shaw, and we're grateful that you're jump starting your weekend with us.

Today marks day 55 of Kentucky's 60 day legislative session.

State lawmakers have just two more days to pass veto proof legislation.

That means fast tracking some measures before the ten day veto period begins.

Our June Leffler was following the debates on the Senate floor today, and she has this that kicks off tonight's legislative update.

>> Bills are bouncing between one chamber to the other now, with lawmakers hoping to get the details right.

House Bill 67 is advancing with each vote and revision it retools a law passed last year that restricts private texting and social media messaging between school staff and students.

>> And it creates some boundaries that used to exist before our cell phone world came into place and students were more accessible.

>> This bill adds new financial transparency requirements for school districts as well.

>> So that the public has access to the budgeting process, the budgeting information, the auditing information, and also credit card statements on the school websites.

>> This Oldham County Republican proposed this measure earlier in the session.

Lawmakers are now adding some stalled bills to other ones with more momentum.

These changes will have to be approved by the House.

The Senate also approved its version of House Bill 490 regarding hiring and firing at public universities.

>> A faculty member at our post-secondary institutions may be removed by the board for bona fide financial reasons, including, but not limited to, financial exigency, exigency, low enrollment in a particular program, or misalignment of revenue.

>> At least three collegiate unions and associations oppose this measure.

Kentucky Democrats agree with campus workers concerns.

>> What 490 does really is weaken the tenure process.

It doesn't eliminate it, but it's designed to weaken the tenure process under the guise of financial exigency so that those tenured faculty.

Now, once this bill is passed and becomes law, will not have the same kind of freedom to teach what we refer to as academic freedom.

>> In a 30 to 7 vote, largely along party lines, the Senate approved House Bill 490.

It now heads back to the House for concurrence.

The Senate also passed House Bill 669, which eliminates the so-called orphan tax.

Kids with deceased parents or disabilities may be entitled to Social Security income, but if those kids are in foster care, most states, including Kentucky, intercept those payments to pay for the child's care.

House Bill 669 would save that money instead for the child's future.

>> This bill requires that accounts be set up for that funding to go into, for the use by that youth under certain conditions.

>> This bill now heads to the governor's desk where it could face a veto, though the measure has largely bipartisan support.

Governor Andy Beshear, his top health and social services official, has questioned this measure.

Doctor Stephen Stack wrote to lawmakers that this could cost the state $14 million.

Lawmakers continued to battle the Beshear administration over its handling of foster care reform.

Republicans have the supermajority power to override