Government
Knowingly owning child sex dolls one step closer to being a felony in Kentucky
In a move that Edgewood Republican Rep. Stephanie Dietz said will help “protect our children from predators and exploitation,” the Kentucky House on Monday passed her bill to ban child sex dolls. House Bill 207 would make it a Class D felony to knowingly own or sell a child sex doll — defined as a […]
Beshear appoints former justice cabinet secretary to cosmetology board
After retiring from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, former Secretary Kerry Harvey will serve on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology.? Gov. Andy Beshear appointed Harvey to fill an expired term left by Margaret Meredith. Harvey, of Lexington, will represent citizens at-large. Harvey’s appointment was announced in a list of appointments from the governor’s office […]
Child care costs far outpace wages, but dependent care tax credit stuck at 2001 rate
The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday evening to assist low-income families through an expansion of the child tax credit and the bill now awaits approval in the Senate. But some organizations are also highlighting a separate tax credit for child and dependent care, which they say is not providing adequate assistance to families […]
Clean power advocates eye grid operator’s planning reforms warily
PJM, the nation’s biggest grid operator, is changing how it plans transmission upgrades needed to ensure reliable service for the 65 million people who live in its footprint. The effort comes after plenty of criticism of how the regional transmission organization, responsible for coordinating the flow of electricity in all or parts of 13 states […]
Pair of billionaires bankrolled super PACs that spent $10 million trying to defeat Beshear
FRANKFORT – Two billionaire mega-donors bankrolled a quartet of super PACs that spent nearly $10 million over five months last year in an effort to elect a Republican governor in Kentucky. Reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission show that Jeff Yass, a billionaire options trader and “school choice” crusader from the Philadelphia […]
Youngest Kentuckians increasingly fall victim to accidental overdoses
Kentucky’s youngest children continue to be at risk of drug overdoses from accidental ingestion — with the number of fatalities and the strength of the drug, or combination of drugs, increasing. Eight children died from ingesting drugs and another 47 suffered an overdose in fiscal year 2022 among cases reviewed by the Child Fatality and […]
House passes two-year Kentucky budget, $1.7 billion in one-time spending
FRANKFORT — After hours of questioning and much criticism from Democrats, the GOP-dominated Kentucky House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $129.6 billion two-year state spending plan. The House also approved more than $1.7 billion in one-time spending from the state’s record-high “rainy day” fund which will pay down pension liabilities and fund infrastructure, in […]
Kentucky data could aid research into deaths related to epilepsy under bill headed for House
FRANKFORT —? Angie Nieters lost her 14-year-old daughter, Jami Smith, in September 2019 quite suddenly.? Jami, who had epilepsy with generalized tonic clonic seizures, lay down to take a nap after school, Nieters told members of the House Committee on Health Services Thursday.? “After 45 minutes, we went in there to check on her and […]
Kentucky pharmacies could continue vaccinating children under bill headed to full House
FRANKFORT — A House bill that would allow Kentucky pharmacies to continue administering vaccines to children ages 5-17 with parental or guardian consent passed unanimously out of a committee Thursday.? House Bill 274 is “not a mandate” to get vaccinated at a pharmacy, sponsor and pharmacist Rep. Danny Bentley, R-Russell, told members of the House […]
Beshear underscores support for DEI during Black History Month celebration
FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear reaffirmed his support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during a Black History Month celebration Thursday at the Kentucky Capitol.? Amid a flurry of anti-DEI legislation in the Republican-controlled General Assembly, Beshear told the crowd in the Capitol Rotunda that “diversity is an asset” and makes Kentucky “more […]
Despite increase, House budget won’t save Kentucky child care from ‘cliff,’ advocates say
FRANKFORT — Faith Lutheran Learning Center, a child care provider in Lexington, is already operating on a budget deficit.? And while the GOP budget that came out of the House Thursday does some good for child care, center director Charla Heersche said it’s not enough to keep her out of the red. COVID-era federal dollars […]
School transportation would be fully funded for first time in decades under House budget plan
FRANKFORT — Kentucky House Republicans would fully fund school transportation in a state budget proposal that advanced from committee Wednesday.?? The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee in a special-called meeting approved bills funding all three branches of government, making one-time appropriations from the state’s “rainy day” fund and releasing tens of millions of dollars in […]