Government
Proposals to split large school districts gained little traction in other states, KY lawmakers told
Amid calls in the Republican-controlled legislature to deconsolidate Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, a new study found that some states that have proposed splitting up large urban districts ultimately did not put those changes into law.? The Office of Education Accountability, an agency that researches education for the legislature, studied school governance models across […]
Overdose deaths are down nationally, but up in many Western states
Despite an encouraging national dip in the past year, overdose deaths are still on the rise in many Western states as the epicenter of the nation’s continuing crisis shifts toward the Pacific Coast, where deadly fentanyl and also methamphetamine are finding more victims. Overdose deaths remain sharply higher since 2019. Many states are working on […]
Kentucky, West Virginia universities studying how to predict, prepare for flash flooding
Researchers at public universities in Kentucky and West Virginia are planning to collaborate alongside local residents on a four-year project to better understand, predict and prepare for flash flooding in Appalachia and climate change’s impacts on it.? Surface coal mining worsened deadly Eastern Kentucky floods in July 2022, study shows A nearly $1.1 million award […]
A new Kentucky area code? 502 expected to run short of numbers in about three years
A national organization overseeing the supply of phone numbers on behalf of phone carriers is asking a Kentucky regulator to establish a new area code in response to a dwindling supply of available 502 area code numbers covering Louisville, Frankfort and nearby counties. The application filed with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) on Monday […]
KY Secretary of State Adams is mulling a run for governor, according to law school interview
Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams is mulling a run for governor, according to a recent interview with his law school’s publication.? An alumni profile of Adams entitled “Election Defender” in the Harvard Law Bulletin says he is considering a run for governor as he is term-limited as the state’s top election official. Adams […]
More Kentucky Republicans ‘decline’ to answer Right to Life’s endorsement survey
LOUISVILLE — Kentucky Right to Life is endorsing in fewer legislative races this year — 45 candidates for the General Assembly received an endorsement from the anti-abortion group, down from 86 in 2022 and 88 in 2020. Planned Parenthood’s Tamarra Wieder said the decrease in endorsements is a sign that Kentucky politicians no longer want […]
‘School choice’ on the ballot in 3 states, including Kentucky, faces pushback in others
Supporters of school choice in Kentucky are hoping voters will do what the state courts wouldn’t — allow a new path for state-supported payments to private schools. Kentucky is one of three states, along with Colorado and Nebraska, with school choice questions on the ballot this fall. Voters will be asked to decide whether public […]
More restrooms have adult-size changing tables to help people with disabilities
ADAIR, Iowa — The blue-and-white highway sign for the eastbound rest stop near here displays more than the standard icon of a person in a wheelchair, indicating facilities are accessible to people who can’t walk. The sign also shows a person standing behind a horizontal rectangle, preparing to perform a task. The second icon signals […]
Kentucky AG challenges Biden’s minimum staffing rule for nursing homes
Kentucky is joining 19 other states in challenging a Biden administration rule that sets minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. The nursing home industry has pushed back against the rule, saying it couldn’t afford to comply even if enough new staff could be found amid a widespread health care workforce shortage, Kentucky Health News previously […]
Kentucky attorney general sues TikTok, calling it ‘addiction machine’ that targets children
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is suing TikTok, accusing the social media platform of exploiting minors and being “designed to addict and otherwise harm” them. In filing the lawsuit Tuesday in Scott County, Coleman joins a dozen states and Washington D.C. in seeking payouts for what they describe as a pattern of knowingly hurting youth. […]
Parents in Kentucky could be liable for kids’ misuse of guns under Republican lawmaker’s plan
This story mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text the suicide prevention lifeline at 988.? A Northern Kentucky Republican will file a bill in the 2025 legislative session to hold parents and guardians civilly accountable for gun violence or misuse carried out by minor children in their care.? […]
Kentucky secretary of state urges lawmakers to protect election officials from AI impersonations
Kentucky’s Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams told lawmakers it’s “too soon” to tell what effect artificial intelligence will have on elections but that it has “potential for significant impact,” and he urged them to consider making it a crime to impersonate an election official. Adams appeared before the General Assembly’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force […]