Briefs
Torture a dog or cat? You could be charged with a felony under proposed Kentucky law??
Under a bipartisan bill that passed a House committee on Wednesday, Kentuckians who torture a dog or cat could be charged with a felony. House Bill 103 would make it a Class D felony to torture a domestic dog or cat. Two members of the House Standing Committee on Judiciary passed and 15 voted in […]
Cameron wants increased teacher pay, ‘far-left’ out of classroom
Kentucky Republican candidate for governor Daniel Cameron released his plans for Kentucky’s education system if elected in November. They include raising starting pay for teachers and keeping “far-left” policies at bay.? In a Wednesday press release, his campaign said his framework aims to “keep the far-left from indoctrinating our students” and that the attorney general […]
New study finds coal miners in Central Appalachia at highest risk of dying from lung diseases
Central Appalachian coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia are more than eight times more likely than men in the general population to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and black lung, according to recent research. “This higher mortality has also worsened over time with modern miners facing greater risk than […]
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 […]
Someone who attended the ‘large spiritual revival’ at Asbury University has measles
Someone who attended the “large spiritual revival” at Asbury University on Feb. 18 has measles, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced Friday night.? “Anyone who attended the revival on Feb. 18 may have been exposed to measles,” Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said in a statement. […]
Senator says bill will address Kentucky’s housing needs; it’s just not written yet
FRANKFORT — State Sen. Brandon Smith is working on legislation that would address a growing housing crisis in Eastern Kentucky following last summer’s devastating floods. Colleagues of Smith, R-Hazard, filed a shell bill, Senate Bill 286, amid the Senate’s deadline for new bills earlier this week and Smith’s absence. After becoming the primary sponsor Wednesday, […]
Postpartum depression bill advances in Kentucky Legislature
This story mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. A bill aimed at providing education and resources for new parents passed Kentucky’s Senate unanimously.? The legislation can now go to the House for a vote.? The Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 135 […]
Bill addressing Kentucky’s health care workforce shortages clears committee
A Kentucky bill drafted to address the state’s health care workforce shortages easily passed a House committee Thursday. The bill, which has bipartisan support, sailed out of the House Standing Committee on Health Services with 18 yes votes and one pass. No one voted against the bill. It now goes to the House floor. House […]
Kentucky Senate approves bill to get report on donated disaster relief funds
FRANKFORT — The Senate passed a piece of legislation from a Western Kentucky lawmaker that seeks answers to how donated disaster relief funds have been spent so far.? A committee substitute version of Senate Bill 99 passed 33-2 Wednesday. Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Fruit Hill, said on the floor that he filed the bill after a […]
Kentucky doctors could get burnout help under bill with Senate approval
This story discusses suicide, burnout and mental health. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. The Kentucky Senate unanimously passed a bill aimed at preventing burnout among physicians on Tuesday.? Republican-backed Senate Bill 12 cleared committee last Wednesday, also unanimously.? The bill […]
Kentucky House approves bill aimed at increasing Alzheimer’s awareness
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House unanimously passed a bill aimed at spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s disease on Tuesday.? The bipartisan House Bill 125 would require the Kentucky Department of Public Health to include information about Alzheimer’s in regularly published materials in health departments around the state and online.? The goal, the bill states, is to […]
House approves ending high school diploma requirement for school bus drivers, secretaries, other classified positions
FRANKFORT — A proposed law that would give school districts a wider pool of applicants for non-teaching jobs has made its way through the Kentucky House of Representatives.? The House on Feb. 17 passed House Bill 32, which would allow Kentucky school districts the option of hiring classified personnel without a high school diploma or […]