Kentucky representative says removal of first cousins from incest statute was ‘inadvertent change’

FRANKFORT, Ky. – State Rep. Nick Wilson, a Kentucky representative for District 82, has released a statement following the filing of House Bill 269 with the removal of first cousins from an incest statute.

Wilson posted the statement to Facebook Wednesday, saying it was “an inadvertent change” during the drafting process that removed first cousins from relationships under that statute. Wilson stated he had not added it back in before filing the bill, later referring to this as a “mistake” made on his part.

The representative said the purpose of HB 269 is to “add ‘sexual contact’ to the incest statute,” stating that currently, incest only applies in cases of sexual intercourse.

Wilson said during Wednesday’s session, he planned to withdraw the bill and refile it with the “first cousin” language included under relationships appearing in the statute.

Wilson further stated, “The fact that I was able to file a bill, catch the mistake, withdraw the bill and refile within a 24-hour period shows that we have a good system.”

Wilson said the bill aims to tackle “familial and cyclical abuse” in Kentucky, saying it is his hope his mistake does not “hurt the chances of the corrected version of the bill.”

Around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the website for the Kentucky General Assembly showed the bill had been withdrawn.