Government
Tennessee is gearing up for another private school voucher debate. Here’s what we know.
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters A new universal school voucher proposal will be the first bill filed for Tennessee’s upcoming legislative session, signaling that Gov. Bill Lee intends to make the plan his No. 1 education priority for a second straight year. Senate Majority Leader Jack […]
FBI says it’s still committed to Pikeville office, staffing shortage is temporary
Federal law enforcement in 10 Eastern Kentucky counties is now being conducted by FBI special agents from nearby areas while the agency tries to fill vacancies in its Pikeville office. “The Pikeville territory is currently being covered by FBI special agents from the surrounding areas while we await current vacancies to be filled,” said Katie […]
Prescribed burn planned on portion of Taylorsville Lake Wildlife Management Area
Portions of Taylorsville Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Spencer County will be closed to the public for two days between Oct. 28 and 31 to facilitate a prescribed fire project as part of ongoing hardwood forest improvements on the property, according to a release from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The […]
Less power from coal, more from natural gas in Kentucky’s future, says state’s largest utility
Power-intensive data centers will drive growth in electricity demand in the near future, says the utility serving the most Kentuckians. It plans to meet that demand by continuing to replace coal-fired power with natural gas while potentially adding up to 1,000 megawatts of solar power by 2035. Investor-owned Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities […]
‘We have persevered:’ Biden will apologize for Native American boarding school history
For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president is set to apologize to Indigenous communities for the role the federal government played in the atrocities Indigenous children faced in the federal Native American Boarding School system. The apology, which President Joe Biden will deliver Friday when he speaks at the Gila River Crossing […]
Supporters of birthing centers gain some political ground in Kentucky
After compromises from lawmakers, St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Northern Kentucky is now neutral on legislation to clear the way for freestanding birth centers in the state.? Representatives for the health system have previously voiced some opposition, saying hospitals are best equipped to handle the unpredictability of birth.? Marc Wilson with Top Shelf Lobby spoke on […]
McConnell’s fundraising total the lowest in years
FRANKFORT — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s reelection committee raised just $76,000 between July 1 and Sept. 30 — the lowest quarterly contribution total it has reported in the four years since his 2020 reelection, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The $76,000 compares to $1.7 million that Sen. Rand Paul’s reelection committee […]
McConnell says presidential election will likely be a ‘cliffhanger’
LOUISVILLE — U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the presidential election will be “a cliffhanger” when asked Wednesday if he still supports former President Donald Trump’s campaign. The Kentucky senator fielded questions from reporters, including about his earlier endorsement of Trump, after a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and […]
Kentucky auditor looking into kinship care help currently in limbo?
Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball has launched an inquiry into whether the Beshear administration can implement a law aimed at helping kinship care families.? Ball’s office will look at what money, if any, the cabinet has available and if federal dollars could help with implementation, she said, and is the result of an official complaint filed […]
Lawmakers urged to ease criminal expungement process for a half-million eligible Kentuckians
LOUISVILLE — When James Sweasy was 19 years old, he was convicted of a felony related to marijuana and spent the next 20 years of his life held back by his record.? He got a lawyer and started the “multi-months” process of expungement when he was in his early 40s, he said.?? “No taxation without […]
Kentucky Sen. Johnnie Turner of Harlan dies
Kentucky Sen. Johnnie Turner of Harlan has died as a result of injuries received in an accident last month. Turner, 76, was an attorney and had served in the U.S. Army as a medic. A Republican, he had served in the state Senate since 2021, representing Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott and Letcher counties. He served […]
KY approves surveillance zone after another chronic wasting disease case found in deer
FRANKFORT — The board overseeing Kentucky’s fish and wildlife agency voted Tuesday to establish a three-county surveillance zone after chronic wasting disease (CWD) was found earlier this month on a deer farm in Breckinridge County. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission also for the second time approved a four-year contract for Commissioner Rich Storm following […]