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An unrelated bill became a vehicle for allowing concealed weapons on Kentucky’s college campuses
FRANKFORT — Republican legislation that would ban colleges, universities and any other “postsecondary education facility” from restricting or banning concealed-carry firearms on campuses advanced out of a Tuesday morning House committee meeting.? House Bill 542, sponsored by Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, was previously an unrelated bill about “workforce development” before the title and content […]
Kentucky senator whose Twitter account ‘liked’ obscene tweets says he was hacked
Editor’s Note: This report relies in part on screenshots, emails and other documentation gathered in May 2021 by Kentucky Lantern reporter Liam Niemeyer when he was a reporter for WKMS Public Radio in Murray. FRANKFORT — The sponsor of a bill mandating a complaint process for removing “obscene” materials from Kentucky’s public schools had, as […]
Senate Republicans take aim at Beshear in passing bill to ‘blow up’ KET board
Republicans in the Kentucky Senate, in passing a bill Wednesday to reorganize the board for Kentucky’s public television broadcaster, also used the opportunity to tee up criticism against the state’s Democratic governor.? Senate Bill 104, sponsored by Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, would disband the current board for Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and require future gubernatorial […]
Bill clears committee that would establish regulations for current, future donations raised by state
FRANKFORT — A House committee on Tuesday approved a Republican-backed bill that would?charge the state officials overseeing millions in disaster donations with setting out regulations for how the donated funding can be applied for and used. House Bill 257, sponsored by Rep. Jason Petrie, R-Elkton, would take the millions of dollars donated to the state’s […]
Kentucky lawmakers advance bill to keep coal on the power grid, cite reliability concerns
FRANKFORT — Kentucky lawmakers are advancing a bill to try to keep coal-fired power plants on the state’s electric grid “for the foreseeable future,” pointing to concerns over rolling blackouts that some utilities implemented when arctic temperatures swept through in December. Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, would prevent the Kentucky Public […]
Kentucky Senate defines school materials ‘harmful to minors’ in bill critics call book banning
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Senate approved legislation Thursday that its sponsor says protects children from inappropriate materials but which critics say will lead to book?banning. Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, would create a complaint process for local school districts to filter materials that parents and guardians consider inappropriate for children. It […]
Bill to disband current KET board, require Senate confirmation for some appointments advances
FRANKFORT — Called an effort to “protect” the integrity of Kentucky’s public television broadcaster, a bill passed unanimously out of a Senate committee Wednesday that would disband the current board for Kentucky Educational Television and require future appointments by the governor to the board be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate. Bill sponsor Sen. Stephen […]
Kentucky Senate approves ‘parental rights’ bill despite pleas to protect vulnerable youth
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. FRANKFORT — Despite pleas by the few Democrats in the Kentucky Senate to protect “vulnerable, marginalized children,” the supermajority of Republicans passed a controversial bill around parental rights and gender identity […]
Anti-abortion amendment to Kentucky Constitution given little chance this session
Roughly three months after voters rejected?Amendment 2, which would have specified there is no right to an abortion in Kentucky’s Constitution, a similar amendment was proposed Tuesday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Whitney Westerfield.? But the amendment isn’t likely to move this session.? Senate Majority Floor Leader Daymon Thayer said Tuesday […]
Bill blocking local assistance with federal firearms regulations sails out of Kentucky House committee
FRANKFORT — A bill that would block local assistance with federal firearms bans — one of several filed by Republicans in the GOP-dominated Kentucky legislature that aim to curb gun control restrictions — sailed out of a state House of Representatives committee Tuesday.? House Bill 153 would prevent local law enforcement, employees of public agencies […]
KFTC seeks investigation of surface mining’s role in deadly Kentucky floods
A Kentucky advocacy group is calling on the federal government to launch an investigation into whether a legacy of surface coal mining in Eastern Kentucky exacerbated the catastrophic, deadly flooding the region faced last July. Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC), a progressive, grassroots organization known for lobbying on environmental issues, made public Monday a letter […]
GOP lawmakers seeking oversight of disaster donations, while Beshear defends funds’ transparency
Republican lawmakers want more oversight of disaster relief funds following a report that checks from donations had been sent to people unaffected by the December 2021 tornado outbreak. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported earlier this month thousands of dollars worth of $1,000 relief checks, provided through the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund, were sent in […]