Briefs
Kentucky Senate passes Stivers’ endowed research bill
FRANKFORT — Most Kentucky senators expressed support for legislation from Republican Senate President Robert Stivers to encourage Kentucky universities to work together on cutting-edge research projects.? Stivers, of Manchester, is backing Senate Bill 1, which would set up endowed research funding for research consortiums between two or more public universities.? Thirty-six Republican and Democratic senators […]
Bill easing job hunt for ex-offenders clears Kentucky legislative committee
Kentuckians who have been convicted of crimes would get a better shot at a second chance under a bipartisan bill that cleared a House committee Wednesday, its supporters say. House Bill 124, sponsored by Rep. Emily Callaway, R-Louisville, would allow individuals to find out in advance if their criminal records would disqualify them from receiving […]
Republican files bill to protect in vitro fertilization in Kentucky?
FRANKFORT — Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a staunch opponent of abortion, filed a bill Wednesday aimed at protecting access to in vitro fertilization in Kentucky. Senate Bill 373, which is not yet online, says any facility or “procedure related to in vitro fertilization shall not be liable” for damages “to a patient or patient’s surviving […]
Bill targeting source-of-income discrimination bans in Kentucky’s largest cities heads to governor’s desk
FRANKFORT — Legislation that critics say would undermine ordinances in Lexington and Louisville that ban discrimination by landlords against a prospective tenant’s source of income is headed to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk.? House Bill 18, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, won final passage Tuesday in the Kentucky House of Representatives after the Kentucky […]
Louisville Democrat files bill to protect assisted reproduction, IVF in Kentucky
FRANKFORT — A Louisville Democrat filed a bill Tuesday aimed at “safeguarding” access to in vitro fertilization in Kentucky. Senate Bill 301, sponsored by Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, would protect from criminal liability medical providers who “engaged in assisted reproduction who meet the professional standard of care,” according to a copy provided to the […]
UAW says majority of Alabama Mercedes workers signal support for union
The United Auto Workers said Tuesday that more than half of the workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance had signed union cards, another milestone in an organization drive with significant symbolic importance. “We haven’t taken this step lightly,” Jeremy Kimbrell, a longtime worker and union supporter at the plant, said in a statement released […]
Kentuckians could collect child support for months of pregnancy under advancing bill
FRANKFORT — A bill paving the way for Kentuckians to collect child support for fetuses as long as there is an order in place within a year of a child’s birth passed unanimously out of a Senate committee Tuesday.? Senate Bill 110 would not apply if a child support order was filed when a child […]
Kentucky child care ‘Horizons Act’ passes Senate committee
FRANKFORT — The Horizons Act, which proposes supporting child care in Kentucky with $300 million in state funding over the next two years, sailed out of a Senate committee Tuesday morning 9-1 after about half an hour of discussion.? The lone “no” vote was Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, who said she worries the bill’s focus […]
GOP lawmaker files bill to add rape, incest exceptions to Kentucky abortion ban?
Citing his affection for his daughters, a Louisville Republican has filed a bill that would expand exceptions to Kentucky’s abortion ban, including for rape and incest. Rep. Ken Fleming’s House Bill 711 would leave it up to the physician to determine if rape or incest had occurred, allowing an abortion “if, in the physician’s best […]
Boone County using opioid settlement funds to create social worker role under the sheriff’s department
Boone County is set to hire three new workers aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by the opioid crisis. On Tuesday, the Boone County Fiscal Court approved a resolution allowing the use of opioid abatement funds to hire up to three police navigators/social workers — a newly created position. “This is one of the […]
Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Senate passes three Democratic bills
FRANKFORT — Three Democratic-sponsored bills passed out of Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Senate Friday morning.? Two of the bills, Senate Bills 48 and 14, received unanimous approval and the third, Senate Bill 45, gained 32 votes from Republicans and Democrats, with three GOP senators voting no. With 23 days left for lawmakers to meet, these were the […]
Kentucky Senate president’s bill for public university research wins committee approval
FRANKFORT — Republican Senate President Robert Stivers’ bill to set up endowed research funding for research consortiums between two or more public universities is heading to the Senate floor.? Senate Bill 1, which Stivers previously introduced alongside a Senate Joint Resolution to further explore how higher education opportunities can be expanded in Southeastern Kentucky, received […]