Government
Bill to get home blood test kits covered by Medicaid passes Kentucky House?
FRANKORT — A bill that would require Kentucky Medicaid to cover at-home blood test kits passed the House 93-0 Monday. House Bill 31 can now advance to the Senate. HB31 would make life easier for Medicaid patients who take blood thinners for their mechanical heart valves. Some patients need the blood thinners after drug use […]
House budget falls short of providing competitive teacher salaries, say Kentucky school administrators
FRANKFORT — Kentucky school districts would be unable to offer competitive teacher salaries under the state budget proposed in the Kentucky House, according to a survey of Kentucky school administrators. The Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) says 96% of respondents said the “proposed budget increase will not enable the district to attract and retain […]
Chemical plant pollution has ‘elevated’ cancer risk in a West Kentucky city, study says
“Toxic air pollution,” largely from a single chemical manufacturer, is elevating the risk of cancer for the approximately 2,500 residents of Calvert City in West Kentucky, state and federal environmental officials are warning.? A study, conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with three air monitors put in place by the Kentucky Division of Air […]
Overdraft fees, late fees could be slashed as White House continues attack on junk fees
The cost of overdrawing your bank account could ease considerably under a rule proposed recently by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The proposed regulation is in line with a larger effort that the Biden administration has championed the past few years to crack down on “junk fees,” which are tacked onto everything from ticket prices […]
Constitutional amendment to use public money for non-public schools proposed in KY House
FRANKFORT — Priority GOP legislation that would allow public funding to non-public schools was filed in the Kentucky House Friday.? The primary sponsor of House Bill 2 is Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles, R-Owensboro. The legislation seeks to amend the state Constitution to give the General Assembly the ability to give dollars to “the education […]
Kentucky Democratic Party announces new executive director
Morgan Eaves, a former member of Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration, will become the executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party next week.? Eaves will replace current Executive Director Sebastian Kitchen effective Feb. 1, a party press release said. Kitchen will return to the Beshear administration.? “I was honored to serve in the Beshear administration, which […]
Sweeping GOP bill increasing criminal penalties, outlawing ‘street camping’ clears Kentucky House
FRANKFORT — A sweeping anti-crime bill pushed by Louisville Republicans won approval Thursday in the Kentucky House after much debate and a few changes to the legislation.? In a 74-22 vote, the House approved House Bill 5. The bill already had 50 Republican co-sponsors before the House voted on the measure. The only Democrat to […]
A bill targeting low-income housing vouchers passes Kentucky Senate
A bill that would prevent Kentucky cities from requiring landlords to accept low-income housing vouchers, something housing advocates say doesn’t happen, passed the state Senate Wednesday by a near party line vote.? The debate on Senate Bill 25 echoed much of what was heard in the House the day before as a similar bill won […]
Citing a Bevin commutation, Republican lawmaker wants to limit Kentucky governor’s pardon powers
FRANKFORT — A Kentucky Republican lawmaker wants to limit pardoning and sentence commuting powers for Kentucky governors after learning a convicted murderer and rapist is now up for parole after outgoing Republican Gov. Matt Bevin commuted his death sentence.?? Sen. Chris McDaniel, of Ryland Heights, is proposing a constitutional amendment that would suspend the governor’s […]
College photo IDs would no longer suffice to vote in Kentucky under bill moving in Senate
FRANKFORT — A bill that would block Kentuckians from using university-issued IDs to vote has passed out of a Senate committee, prompting the Republican secretary of state to warn members of his party to “be careful not to gratuitously alienate young voters.”? Identification cards issued by universities and colleges to students and employees would no […]
Bill criminalizing child sex dolls, deep fake child porn advances in Kentucky legislature?
FRANKFORT — Knowingly owning or selling? child sex dolls would become a felony in Kentucky under a Republican bill that unanimously passed a House committee Wednesday.? The bill also criminalizes the use of artificial intelligence to create child pornography or to create fake images that use real children as the source, said the sponsor, Rep. […]
Kentucky death row inmates spend years waiting for executions that aren’t coming
Across the country, few people have been on death row longer than Karu Gene White. White was 20 years old when he was convicted of taking part in the brutal murders of three elderly Breathitt County shopkeepers in February 1979. The following year, he was sentenced to death by execution. Today, nearly 44 years later, […]