Author

Tom FitzGerald

Tom FitzGerald

Tom "Fitz" FitzGerald is former director and currently of counsel to the Kentucky Resources Council, a non-profit Kentucky organization providing legal and technical assistance without charge on a range of environmental and energy issues affecting Kentuckians.

Commentary

The fault lies not in their stars. (Most likely it’s in their laws.)

By: - March 28, 2024

To the average person, “venue” is the place where some organized event happens — a concert, a conference, or (particularly in March) a basketball game. To a person who suffers a legal wrong or injury, it is the court where the law says a criminal or civil case must be filed. The general rule on […]

Commentary

The rise of the ‘Frankfort Knows Best’ legislature

By: - March 26, 2024

It is said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind.? That is nowhere more apparent than with the Kentucky General Assembly and its occasional respect for local governance. Lawmakers purport to respect “local control” and to value home rule — the idea that, within limits, communities and their local elected officials […]

Commentary

Overbroad bill risks turning food plant workers, government inspectors, neighbors into criminals

By: - March 21, 2024

We expect, as a commonwealth, that when lawmakers propose to make activity criminal, that they choose their words carefully. We also expect that government will take action to assure that our food supply is safe, and that workers in the workplace will not be exposed to hazards due to employer negligence. Yet pending before the […]

Commentary

Kentucky Senate’s pro-coal bill would burden ratepayers, make energy transition more chaotic

By: - March 11, 2024

For many years, Kentucky’s three-person, non-partisan Public Service Commission (PSC) has presided over Kentucky’s investor-owned and co-operative electric utilities. It has been guided by two principles — that utilities should meet the energy needs of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers using the reasonable least-cost alternative. And that those utilities, for the privilege of having […]

Commentary

Legislature should reject sludge regulations that could harm farmers, damage farmland

By: - March 7, 2024

On March 11, the Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee will consider a set of revisions to Energy and Environment Cabinet regulations that weaken protections for farmers, farmland and the public from the application of contaminated sludges from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Called “biosolids,” the sludges remaining from city treatment of residential, commercial and industrial wastes contain […]