Government
Beshear says VP speculation put a positive national spotlight on Kentucky
FRANKFORT —?While he was not ultimately selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said the national attention put a positive spotlight on his home state.? Beshear, 46, was among a shortlist of potential running mates for Harris shortly after she mounted her presidential campaign following President Joe Biden’s exit […]
Kentucky justices question legislative interference in JCPS case against the state
FRANKFORT —?Kentucky Supreme Court Justices heard oral arguments Wednesday morning in a case that could determine if the board of the state’s largest school district is subject to a law aimed at curbing the board’s powers.? The 2022 legislation at the center of the case is aimed at changing the relationship of the Jefferson County […]
Beshear says school district speaking against Amendment 2 was ‘just being honest with people’
FRANKFORT — Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, a former attorney general, said he would be “curious” to see if a recent Attorney General advisory warning school districts to not use tax dollars to advocate for or against a constitutional amendment would have been rendered in response to a lawmaker discussing the same issue.? “I’m curious […]
Kentucky’s housing shortages receive legislative scrutiny
Kentucky doesn’t have enough housing. On that even the state’s lawmakers can agree. But the reasons for the shortages differ from community to community, exacerbated by natural disasters in some counties and a booming economy in others.? A task force, established by the GOP-dominated legislature earlier this year to better understand the state’s housing needs, […]
Kentucky school district posts against Amendment 2 raise questions about political influence
One Kentucky public school district is speaking against a proposed constitutional amendment that would affect school funding — raising questions about what school districts can say on political issues.? Pulaski County Schools, a district seated around Somerset with more than 7,500 students, shared a message advocating against Amendment 2 on its official Facebook page Friday. […]
Kentucky prosecutor says new law banning child sex dolls could strengthen future criminal cases
A new Kentucky law that makes it a felony to own a child sex doll could strengthen cases against predators, a local prosecutor says.??? Rob Sanders, the commonwealth’s attorney for Kenton County, said in a Monday press conference the law might have changed the outcome of a court case involving the shipment of child sex […]
State lawmakers eye promise, pitfalls of AI ahead of November elections
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Inside a white-walled conference room, a speaker surveyed hundreds of state lawmakers and policy influencers, asking whether artificial intelligence poses a threat to the elections in their states. The results were unambiguous: 80% of those who answered a live poll said yes. In a follow-up question, nearly 90% said their state laws […]
Kentucky appeals court rejects AG’s efforts to get employment records in abortion case
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Court of Appeals has rejected efforts by the office of the state Attorney General to use a Franklin County grand jury subpoena to get employment records in a case that appears to involve two University of Louisville physicians who performed abortions at EMW Women’s Surgical Center and trained residents at the […]
Bipartisan bill aims to expand free school meals with more Kentucky-sourced food
Kentucky lawmakers from both parties are hoping to lessen childhood hunger while also supporting farmers with new legislation set to be introduced in next year’s legislative session.? The pre-filed legislation from Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, and Reps. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, and Scott McPherson, R-Scottsville, would establish the “Kentucky Proud School Match Program.”? In a […]
Senators urge better access to disability payments for Long COVID patients
Seven U.S. senators have called on the Social Security Administration to make it easier for people with long COVID to access disability benefits, actions that disability rights advocates and patients say are desperately needed. In a letter released Monday, they said the agency should make the process more transparent, track and publish data on long […]
In West Kentucky, people like their schools, ponder ‘choice’ amendment’s implications
GRAVES COUNTY ?— Al Chandler, superintendent of Northside Baptist Christian School, the only private school in Graves County, plans to vote for Amendment 2 — but not because he thinks his local public schools are failing students or families. “We really have wonderful, wonderful schools. Mayfield and Graves (County) both in our county, are just […]
McConnell blasts Harris-Walz ticket as ‘far left,’ says Democrats have ‘abandoned’ rural America
LOUISVILLE — U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell branded Vice President Kamala Harris’ new running mate as “far left” and said Democrats have “abandoned” rural America in a speech Wednesday before Republican state lawmakers from around the country. The day after Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential choice, McConnell, speaking to […]