Each week, LINK nky is publishing a profile of one of our local legislators so that Northern Kentuckians can get to know the people representing them at the state level.
Family law has been the professional career of Rep. Stephanie Dietz for three decades. That alone gives the Edgewood attorney some unique insight into the challenges facing Kentucky parents and children. Plus Dietz is a mom herself.
What she has noticed both as a mother and now freshman state lawmaker is how accessible children are to social media and broader internet technology. Dietz told LINK nky she has been researching Google, Instagram, and other tech giants to see what kinds of information they collect and what role state law should potentially play in the regulatory process.
“I really want to work on something that’s going to protect our kids from the information that’s collected about them, whether that’s parental consent” or another avenue, Dietz said.
Central to her concerns is artificial intelligence, which Dietz said is now being used in some spheres to generate child pornography. Legislation targeting that activity is likely to surface during the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. Dietz said she plans to support it.
“I think the real concern is AI pornography and artificial intelligence,” she said.
Access to anatomically correct child sex dolls is another concern said Dietz, who addressed the issue through legislation (House Bill 182) in 2023. The bill stalled, but Dietz said she will file the legislation again in 2024. Should it become law, her bill would make possession of the dolls a felony while giving law enforcement probable cause to execute a search for possession. Dietz said her proposal could potentially become part of a larger child protection bill next session.
“I have every intention of carrying my bill on the House side. If it morphs into something else I am totally fine to collaborate. I think we all want what’s best for kids,” said the Edgewood Republican.
Education is also on her list of priorities. Dietz told LINK she supports a proposed constitutional amendment for school choice. Letting voters decide if they want more school funding options is a crucial first step, said Dietz. State lawmakers are expected to vote next session on whether or not to put some semblance of that question on the Nov. 2024 ballot.
“I think we have to get through step one first, which is to see do voters want that as an option?” said Dietz. Northern Kentucky has a lot of options, from public schools to private schools, she said. “We need to see what the rest of the state thinks.”
Voters in the 65th House District, represented by Dietz, will have a choice of whether to keep her as their state representative when they return to the polls next year. Dietz filed for reelection to the Kenton County district in December. She was running unopposed as of Dec. 19.
Rep. Stephanie Dietz (R-Edgewood) represents part of northern and central Kenton County in the 65th House District. She is a member of the House Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, Families and Children Committee, and Judiciary Committee. Dietz is also a member of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary, Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection, and Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children. Additionally, she is a member of both the NKY Caucus and Kentucky History Caucus.