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Lawmakers hear skepticism from Louisville residents who oppose breaking up school district
LOUISVILLE — More Louisville residents expressed skepticism about a legislative task force’s intentions amid fears of dismantling Jefferson County Public Schools Tuesday evening.? While addressing the Efficient and Effective School Governance Task Force, students, teachers, parents and more called for different solutions, like allocating more adequate funding for public schools, giving students incentives to become […]
Beshear-backed challengers trying to turn two suburban Louisville state House districts blue
LOUISVILLE — Democrats backed by Gov. Andy Beshear are vying to unseat two Louisville Republicans in the Kentucky House this fall.? The challengers — union leader John Stovall and education advocate Kate Farrow — are hoping to turn Kentucky’s 37th and 48th House Districts blue. The seats are currently held by Republican Reps. Emily Callaway […]
Rep. Kulkarni cleared for Nov. 5 ballot by Franklin Circuit judge. Appeal quickly filed.
FRANKFORT —?Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd issued a ruling Monday afternoon that allows state Rep. Nima Kulkarni, a Louisville Democrat, to seek reelection in November after months of court battles that went to the state Supreme Court. However, the lawyer for a primary challenger has already filed another appeal. In his order, Shepherd wrote that […]
Professors worry about political interference in higher education, finds survey of Southern faculty
Professors in the South are increasingly worried about political interference in higher education, according to a new survey released by southern chapters of the American Association of University Professors.? The survey, which included responses from nearly 3,000 faculty members, found that about 70% of respondents signaled dissatisfaction with the political atmosphere around higher education and […]
Kentucky Republicans celebrate ‘house that Mitch built’ with a little help from some big donors
FRANKFORT — What speakers hailed as “the house that Mitch built” will be doubling in size? — thanks to more than $3 million from special interest donors and a change of state law in 2017 that legalized such donations. A slew of prominent Kentucky Republicans joined U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to break ground […]
Franklin judge urges mediation in dispute between Kentucky auditor and Beshear administration
FRANKFORT — Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd urged Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration and Republican Auditor Allison Ball’s office to resolve a dispute over access to an abuse and neglect database before further litigation ensues.? In a Wednesday morning motion hour, Shepherd gave attorneys on both sides until close of business Thursday to let his […]
New challenge arises as Kulkarni is renominated as Democratic candidate in KY House election
LOUISVILLE — Another legal obstacle to Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni’s reelection was filed in Franklin Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.? William Zeitz, a Democrat who challenged Kulkarni in May’s primary election, has joined with Dennis Horlander, a Democrat who previously represented the 40th House District, in suing election officials after Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams […]
A second public university in Kentucky closes its diversity office under GOP lawmakers’ pressure
A second Kentucky public university has disbanded its diversity office under pressure from Republican lawmakers. Northern Kentucky University President Cady Short-Thompson wrote in an email to campus: “The circumstances under which universities across the Commonwealth and the country find themselves, coupled with the legislative priorities of state leaders for the upcoming session, require universities to […]
Democratic state lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI-related charges
LOUISVILLE —?Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence in Jefferson County District Court Friday morning.? The 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley was arrested by local police early Tuesday. According to the arrest citation, she refused to take a field sobriety test and a preliminary […]
Grossberg not welcome at local party events as embarrassments mount for Louisville Democrats
The Louisville Democratic Party is asking Rep. Daniel Grossberg to “temporarily refrain from participating” in the party’s events amid a Legislative Ethics Commission investigation. Meanwhile, the executive director of the state Democratic Party said situations involving a few state representatives from Louisville have “certainly been concerning” but pushed back on suggestions that they could hurt […]
Louisville residents warn legislative task force against splitting up their school district
LOUISVILLE — Several speakers, including Jefferson County Public Schools students, warned a legislative task force against breaking up Kentucky’s largest school district in a Tuesday evening meeting.? However, the co-chairs of the Efficient and Effective School Governance Task Force said deciding to split the district, which serves almost 97,000 students, was not under its purview. […]
Democratic state lawmaker arrested for driving under the influence
Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton was arrested for driving under the influence in Jefferson County early Tuesday morning.? Chester-Burton, a 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley, was arrested around 1 a.m. on Garrs Lane in Shivley, a spokesperson for the Shively Police Department told the Kentucky Lantern. She was charged with reckless driving and a second […]