Government
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, […]
Kentucky House passes bill limiting power of Louisville’s air pollution authority
Kentucky lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent Louisville’s air pollution authority from issuing fines against industries that self-disclose violations of federal pollution regulations.? Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, on the House floor reiterated his reasoning for House Bill 136 by saying it would bring industries in Jefferson County into […]
Opponents fear House-approved bill would preempt a Louisville housing ordinance
Republican-backed legislation passed the Kentucky House of Representatives Tuesday that would ban local governments from requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers from tenants, something housing advocates say no local government has done.? House Bill 18, sponsored by Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, passed 74-20 on a party line vote with the minority of Democrats repeating concerns […]
Senate OKs expanding KEES eligibility to homeschool students, including those who take alternative entrance exam
FRANKFORT — Kentucky senators approved a bill that would make homeschool students eligible for a state-funded scholarship, but some raised concerns over the inclusion of a Christian-backed alternative college entrance exam as an equivalent test.? The Senate passed Senate Bill 7 with a vote of 33-4 on Tuesday. The GOP legislation would make students from […]
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman discusses her double mastectomy
FRANKFORT — Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman knew for a long time that one day she might learn cancer was at her door.? Her family history put her on heightened alert — her mother, aunt and cousin all had breast cancer. So she “wasn’t shocked” when, in September, a routine mammogram — her first — […]
Citing ‘denials, delays,’ Baptist Health ends contracts with two more Medicare Advantage carriers
A stalemate between one of Kentucky’s largest health care providers and three major health insurers is affecting thousands of Kentucky retirees enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Baptist Health last fall ended its contract agreement with Humana for physician services covered by Medicare Advantage, the Kentucky Lantern reported in October. That means doctors’ visits are considered […]
Discussion, no vote on bill mandating how academics in Kentucky would be evaluated
The Kentucky House Education Committee discussed but did not vote on a bill Tuesday that would allow public universities and colleges to remove faculty who fall short of “productivity requirements.”? Rep. James Tipton, the Republican chairman of the committee and the sponsor of House Bill 228, said the agenda was changed Monday night. Originally, the […]