Kentucky Republican State Representative Nick Wilson—best known for winning the 37th season of Survivor in 2018 before running for office—was widely criticized for introducing and subsequently withdrawing a bill that sought to remove the criminal liability for incest involving first cousins.
House Bill 269, introduced on January 16, aimed to amend Kentucky's incest laws by striking "first cousin" from the list of familial relationships considered unlawful. The proposed amendment raised eyebrows, leading to widespread criticism and concerns about the potential implications of such a change.
Wilson claimed that the inclusion of first cousins in the bill was a drafting error and has since refiled the legislation.
In a Facebook post, Wilson emphasized that the primary intention of the legislation was to extend legal protection against incest by adding "sexual contact" to the existing statute, addressing gaps in the law related to sexual touching and groping within familial relationships.
He wrote:
"The purpose of the bill is to add 'sexual contact' to the incest statute. Currently, incest only applies in cases of intercourse. So sexual touching/groping by uncles, stepdads or anyone with a familial relationship is not included in incest. My bill makes that kind of sexual contact a Class D Felony, unless the victim is under the age of 12, then it increases the penalty to a Class C Felony."
"During the drafting process, there was an inadvertent change, which struck 'first cousins' from the list of relationships included under the incest statute, and I failed to add it back in. During today’s session, I will withdraw HB 269 and refile a bill with the “first cousin” language intact."
"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."
He concluded:
"This is a bill to combat a problem of familial and cyclical abuse that transcends generations of Kentuckians. I understand that I made a mistake, but I sincerely hope my mistake doesn’t hurt the chances of the corrected version of the bill."
"It is a good bill, and I hope it will get a second chance."
You can see his post below.
Many weren't buying it—and took to social media to express their disgust.
In Kentucky, incest is presently characterized by engaging in sexual relations with a person recognized as a parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, brother, sister, first cousin, ancestor, or descendant. Wilson's initial proposed amendment aimed to eliminate "first cousin" from this list.
Furthermore, both the original and revised editions of the bill tackled the issue of parole for violent offenders, encompassing individuals convicted of incest through sexual contact within the defined parameters.
Additionally, Wilson takes a leading role as the primary sponsor in three other bills currently under consideration.
House Bill 182, aiming to broaden the definition of a "violent offender"; House Bill 270, seeking to criminalize traveling to Kentucky for the purpose of engaging in rape or sodomy; and House Bill 271, proposing the allowance of written reports concerning child dependency, neglect, or abuse.
