Government
Beshear’s inauguration is next week. Here’s the schedule.
Last month, voters gave Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman a second term. Next week, they’ll be inaugurated again at the State Capitol in Frankfort.? The 62nd inauguration on Tuesday, Dec. 12, will feature Kentuckians to celebrate a theme of “Forward, Together.” The festivities include an inaugural ball, a parade, performances and […]
Kentucky lawmakers are pre-filing bills ahead of the 2024 session, but they’re not easy to find
Typically by this time of the year, less than a month from the start of the January legislative session, drafts of dozens of bills that lawmakers planned to introduce would be readily available on the legislature’s website for the public to read. Not so this year. Legislation passed in 2022, which became law without Gov. […]
State senator wants Frankfort utility to sell its internet service; utility questions why
FRANKFORT — Walking to his office in the state capitol annex last month, state Sen. Gex Williams pulled out his phone to show a photo of a billboard that appeared in Frankfort weeks earlier. The billboard along a well-traveled street displays in bold, white font the words, “OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT FOR SALE,” along with […]
Harvey to retire as Justice and Public Safety Cabinet secretary
Kerry Harvey, the secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, will retire at the end of January.? Gov. Andy Beshear, who was recently reelected, made the announcement during his weekly press conference Thursday. The governor thanked Harvey for his service and added that Harvey’s decision was “his choice and his choice alone.”? “He has […]
Kentucky Board of Education names firm for education commissioner search
The Kentucky Board of Education has selected McPherson & Jacobson, LLC, as the firm to conduct the search for the Commonwealth’s next commissioner of education.? The board met with representatives of the search firm during its Thursday meeting. However, the selection was made during a Nov. 28 meeting, though the vendor’s name was not public […]
Kentucky’s worsening teacher shortage requires an ‘across the pipeline’ approach, officials say
As more new teachers leave the profession, Kentucky’s teacher shortage is worsening, according to a report to the General Assembly which convenes Jan. 2.?? The Office of Education Accountability (OEA) recently reported that ramifications of personnel shortages in Kentucky schools are growing. State officials and educators say addressing the shortage means supporting teachers “across the […]
State-run disaster relief funds had error rates below 1%, two reports find
Nearly all relief payments to Kentucky disaster survivors from state-run relief funds were made without error, according to reports released Tuesday, one by the Kentucky auditor and another by an inspector general in the Beshear administration. Republican Auditor Mike Harmon and the Office of the Inspector General of the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet launched […]
How wealthy donors legally gave even more to Democratic Party during Beshear’s campaign
FRANKFORT — Ahead of? last month’s governor’s race, London Mayor Randall Weddle and other Kentuckians gave big to a type of political committee that allows wealthy donors to make massive legal contributions.? Weddle, whose earlier excess contributions to Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection effort had drawn regulatory scrutiny, contributed $550,000 on Oct. 3 to a national […]
Louisville’s Harper Angel will not seek reelection to Kentucky Senate
A longtime member of Kentucky’s General Assembly, state Sen. Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, announced she will not seek reelection at the end of her current term.? In a Tuesday press release, Harper Angel said it “has been a profound honor” to serve Kentucky. Harper Angel has represented District 35, which includes part of Jefferson County, […]
Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War would receive Congressional Gold Medal under push by lawmakers
WASHINGTON — Members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation are leading a bipartisan effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency recruited the Hmong people as soldiers to help combat communism’s spread through Southeast Asia. The Hmong, who lived and worked as […]
Joe Meyer retiring as Covington mayor, city commissioner launches campaign
Covington Commissioner Ron Washington threw his hat into the ring for mayor on Dec. 1, three days after Mayor Joe Meyer announced his retirement. “We have accomplished quite a bit in the past several years,” Washington said in a press release. “But we need to make decisions and take actions that keep the momentum going. […]
Kentucky appeals court upholds governor’s ability to take legislature to court
Kentucky’s legislature acted unconstitutionally in 2022 by prohibiting Gov. Andy Beshear from spending public funds to challenge its actions, the state Court of Appeals ruled Friday in a unanimous decision. The appeals judges upheld an earlier ruling by Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate that had struck down the legislature’s attempt to block the governor from […]